Arrogance & Animosity A Modern Twific
by pattyrose
Summary: He's a snobbish, rich med school grad down in Forks for the summer with his bud Jasper; She's the 'forbidden fruit': a lower middle-class girl who sets his heart racing. Sound familiar? If you've read Pride & Prejudice, it should! E&B J&A AH AU
1. Chapter 1

Its Pride & Prejudice meets Bella and Edward. No, we're not in Regency-era England; this time we're in Forks! If you already love Edward, come see him in the role of one of the other most romantic figures of all-time, Mr. Darcy!

**A/N: Hey there everyone! I recently re-read Pride and Prejudice for the first time in over a decade, and fell in love with it all over again. Of course, being obsessed with Twilight and Edward Cullen, I immediately imagined Edward as a modern day Mr. Darcy. So this is what resulted.**

**If you're all familiar with Pride and Prejudice then you'll see that this story will stay very close to Ms. Jane Austen's original story and plot. The language has been modernized, and the setting and time period have been changed to present day Forks. If you've read P&P, then you know it's written in old, formal English, and therefore my interpretation of Ms. Austen's language may sometimes differ from yours. In some instances though, I will keep a sentence exactly the way Ms. Austen wrote it, if it doesn't seem to need updating for the story or modernization.**

**Chapters will follow the same format as Ms. Austen's original chapters. Updates will be every two or three days, since the chapters are fairly short.**

**Oh…and if you've never read Pride and Prejudice, turn off your PC or laptop and go read it NOW! You are missing out on one of the best love stories in history. Then come back and read this. **

**Now stick with me through this confusing disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and major story line belongs to Ms. Jane Austen.**

**I didn't want to bother my Beta's; I know they both have their hands full right now; so I'm flying solo on this one. Please forgive any errors!  
****Arrogance and Animosity – A modern love story.**

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**Chapter 1**

It's a universal truth that a wealthy, single man, needs a wife.

Even if this man's feelings and views are not well-known when he first arrives in a neighborhood, this truth is so overwhelming in the minds of the surrounding families that he is automatically considered the rightful property of one or the other of their daughters.

"Hey Charlie," Renee asked one day, "have you heard that the Netherfield Estate over by the Sol Duc was finally rented?"

"Nope, can't say that I have," Charlie responded, while keeping his eyes trained on the baseball game on TV.

"Well, it is," Renee continued. "Mrs. Webber told me about it."

Charlie didn't answer.

"Well, don't you want to know who rented it?" cried Renee impatiently.

"_You_ obviously want to tell me, and I have no problem with hearing it."

That was all the invitation Renee needed.

"Well, if you must know," Renee gushed, "Netherfield Estate is being rented for the summer by a very wealthy young man from Seattle. He came down on Monday in his BMW to see the place and he liked it so much that he paid for the entire summer in full, and he plans to move in right after classes end this month."

"What's his name?" Charlie asked in an uninterested voice.

"Jasper Whitlock."

"Married or single?" Charlie asked, even though he already knew the answer. Renee wouldn't have given a damn about his arrival if he was married.

"Single, of course!" she confirmed in a whine. "Single and rich, luckily for our girls."

"Why lucky for them? How does it affect our girls?"

Renee sucked her teeth. "Come on Charlie! Stop being so difficult. You know I'm thinking of introducing our girls to him."

"Is that what he came here for?" Charlie asked, getting tired of Renee's scheming. "For a summer fling?"

"Summer fling?" Renee protested. "Of course not! But hey, if he falls in love with one of them…" she fantasized. "You've got to go introduce yourself to him soon!"

"Are you nuts?" Charlie asked, getting exasperated. "For what? What excuse would I use for dropping by on a guy I don't even know? Why don't you dig up some excuse and stop by with the girls if you want. Hey, maybe if you get lucky, Mr. Whitlock'll fall in love with you, since you're as pretty as they are," he teased.

"Thanks for the compliment," Renee smirked, "but even though I was quite a looker in my day, I know I don't compare to my girls. When a woman has two daughters of her own, and two nieces she's raising as her own, it's time to stop thinking of her own beauty."

"In those cases, a woman doesn't usually have that much beauty to think of in the first place."

"Oh Charlie will you stop and just go introduce yourself to Mr. Whitlock when he moves in?" Renee insisted.

"I don't think so."

Renee drew in a deep breath. "Think of your daughters. And your nieces. Think of how good it would do them to know someone with Mr. Whitlock's connections. The Clearwaters plan on introducing themselves, and you know they never introduce themselves to anyone. You've got to go! You can use your position as Chief of the town's police as an excuse! Say you wanted to make sure he knew the town's police force was adequate, warn them against the stray wolves in the woods, stuff like that."

"I'm sure Mr. Whitlock would be happy to know how much you care about his safety. Why don't you go and tell him yourself. If it makes you feel better, I'll send a letter for him along with you letting him know he has my blessing to date whichever one of our girls he likes. Of course, I'll throw in a good word for Bella."

"The hell you will," Renee responded, irritated at Charlie's lack of seriousness in the matter. "Besides, as much as I love my Bella, if I have to be honest, she isn't as pretty as Alice, or half as social as Jessica. Yet _you're_ always favoring her."

"Jessica?" Charlie cried in shock. "You'd compare Jessica, or even her sister Lauren to either of our girls? Those two are shallower than a well in a drought." Like anyone with half a heart would've done, when Renee's sister and her husband died in a car crash two years ago, Charlie hadn't hesitated in taking the girls in and raising them as their own. But the past couple of years had just proven to him that they were shallow, vain and silly girls, and couldn't hold a candle to either one of his own daughters, Alice and Bella.

Renee shushed Charlie. "Lower your voice! They'll hear you!" she warned, her eyes moving upstairs where the girls slept. Then, in a lower voice, "And how can you say that about our nieces, especially after everything they've been through?"

Charlie rolled his eyes but didn't answer.

"You love getting on my nerves, don't you?" Renee went on.

" 'Course not, hon," Charlie answered in a pleasant tone, turning his attention back to the game. "I have a high respect for your nerves. They're my old friends. I've heard you talk about them pretty often for the past twenty years, at least."

"You have no idea how much you're ticking me off right now."

"Calm down Renee," Charlie answered. "Or you'll give yourself a heart attack before Mr. Whitlock even makes it into Forks."

"It'll make no difference if he comes anyway, or if twenty of his kind move into town, since you won't introduce yourself to any of them."

"I'll make you a deal," Charlie teased. "If twenty of them move into town, then I'll visit them all."

Charlie was such an odd mixture of quick thinking, sarcastic humor, reserve and unconventionality that even though Renee had been married to him for twenty-three years, she still didn't understand him. _Her_ mind, on the other hand, was less difficult to understand. She was a woman of average intelligence, little information, and uneven temper. When she was unhappy, which was very often, she complained about the damage it did to her delicate nerves. All she cared about in life was getting her daughters and nieces on that first step towards the proverbial social ladder. And all she did all day was bother the neighbors and gossip.

**Alright guys, there's the first chapter. Like I said, if you know P&P you'll recognize where I stay more or less true to the story line, and where I've deviated it to fit our Twilight characters! **

**Drop me a line and let me know what you think! I've got the first four or five chapters done already, so I'll post one a day, and then every two or three days after that! **


	2. A&A  Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright guys. Here's chapter 2. Our dear Mr. Darcy (um, I mean Edward) will join the story next chapter, as those of you familiar with P&P will remember.**

**And once again, if you haven't read Pride & Prejudice, please go do so. Trust me, you'll thank me!**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Major story line and plot belong to Jane Austen.**

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**Arrogance &Animosity - Chapter 2**

Charlie went the next evening, after work, and introduced himself to Jasper Whitlock. He'd always planned on introducing himself; it was a small town, and as the Chief of Police, he did make it part of his duties to introduce himself to all newcomers and assure them that the town's force would be looking out for them. But he enjoyed pissing off Renee, and she had no idea he'd gone until the evening after the visit. Watching Bella as she sat quietly at the table, writing in her poetry book, he exclaimed:

"I hope Mr. Whitlock likes what you're writing Bella."

"What the heck do I care what Mr. Whitlock likes or doesn't like?" she snorted. Charlie laughed. One of the things he loved about his youngest daughter was how unconcerned she was with what other people thought. She was a smart girl, just finishing up her junior year at the University of Washington. By this time next year, she'd be graduating from college, with a degree in Education, and probably off to join Alice in New York.

Alice Swan, Charlie's oldest daughter, was also special to him. She was the spunky one in the family; the one with style and flair. She'd just finished her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, and at the end of the summer, she'd be moving to New York to attend the graduate program at FIT, and hit the fashion world by storm.

And Lauren and Jessica…well, they were both in high school, and had no plans for the future, no aspirations beyond going out with the latest 'it' boy, nothing to make Charlie fond of them beyond a familial obligation.

Renee frowned at Bella. "We have no way of knowing what Jasper Whitlock likes anyway," she said, throwing a resentful glance Charlie's way.

Bella laughed at her mother. She knew she was upset at her father for not having gone to introduce himself to Mr. Whitlock. She tried to appease her. "Don't worry mom. I'm sure he'll be at the annual Founder's Day Ball. We can meet him then."

Renee smirked, unsatisfied. "Yes, but I'm sure Sue Clearwater'll try to hog him up all for herself at the Ball. She's got a daughter of her own. Plus she's a selfish, hypocritical woman. I don't like her.

"Neither do I," Charlie added. "And I'm glad to see you're sharp enough to see through all her pretenses."

Renee refused to answer him. But needing to lash out at someone, she lashed out at one of her nieces.

"Jessica, can you please stop coughing, for God's sakes. It's getting on my nerves!"

"Jessica is never careful when her asthma starts to act up," Charlie teased. "She times the attacks very poorly."

"I'm choking over here. Can someone please pass me my inhaler?" Jessica begged through fits of coughing.

"While Jessica chokes," Charlie continued, "can someone please tell me when exactly the Founder's Day Ball is?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow dad," Alice answered, looking up from her sewing machine. Charlie noted that whatever Alice was making now, it sure was colorful.

"Oh my God, that's right," Renee exclaimed. "It's just two weeks away. And Sue'll be away 'til the night before, so it'll be impossible for her to introduce him to us, since she won't know him yet herself."

"Well then, hon," Charlie said, "you'll have the advantage over her, and you'll be able to introduce Jasper Whitlock to _her_."

Renee scowled at Charlie. "I don't see how that would be possible, when I don't know him myself! Stop being such an ass."

Charlie nodded up and down slowly, as if giving careful consideration to Renee's predicament. "I understand your situation. A two week acquaintance is definitely very short. It's hard to capture a person's character in only two weeks. But if we don't try to do it, somebody else will. And after all, Sue and her daughter deserve a chance to know Mr. Whitlock. Therefore, since I know Sue'll be _really grateful_," – Charlie smiled a peculiar smile – "if you don't want to introduce them to Mr. Whitlock, I'll have to do it myself."

The girls stared at their father and uncle. Renee said only, "Ugh! You're so full of bullshit!"

"What the hell does that mean?" cried Charlie. "Do you think my plan to introduce them to Jasper Whitlock – knowing how important it is to them – is a bunch of bullshit? What do you think Jessica?" He turned to her with as straight a face as he could muster and said, "You're a smart girl. I know all those weekly gossip magazines you read must give you some insight on how to proceed in these situations."

Jessica wanted to say something clever, but nothing came to mind.

Charlie turned back to his sports pages, his eyes trailing carefully up and down the statistics. "While Jessica ponders some great words for us," he said, keeping his eyes on the paper, "let's get back to Jasper Whitlock."

"I am sick and tired of Jasper Whitlock!" cried Renee.

"Oh really!" Charlie laughed, looking up from the sports pages. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I wish you would've told me that before I went to introduce myself yesterday after work." Renee froze in her Warrior 1 yoga position. "Oh well," Charlie continued, turning back to the Mariner's daily results. "It's too bad, but what's done is done. I can't exactly pretend not to know him now."

Bella continued writing in her book and Alice continued sewing her latest creation, but Jessica and Lauren froze along with their aunt. Nevertheless, the dumbfounded looks on Renee and his nieces was just the reaction Charlie was going for, although Renee's reaction, mouth hanging agape, was even more comical than his nieces. Renee finally came back to her senses and was able to close her mouth before flies wandered in there.

"I knew you'd see sense Charlie! I knew you'd see the benefits of acquainting our family with someone like Mr. Whitlock." Charlie rolled his eyes. Renee breathed in deeply. "Oh, now I can breathe in a sigh of relief." She turned and smiled sweetly at her husband. "And to think you had me fooled! You're such a rat!"

Charlie stood up, putting the paper down in front of him. He'd had enough of Renee's rants. "Alright Jessica," he mused as he walked out of the room, "I suppose you're safe to cough away as much as you want now."

"What a thoughtful father and uncle you girls have," Renee raved after Charlie had walked into the kitchen. Lauren and Jessica giggled like idiots, while Bella and Alice stole a quick look at each other, rolling their eyes at their mother's dramatics. "You girls really owe him for this one, and you owe me too, of course," she added. "At our ages, it's not so much fun anymore meeting new people. But these are the sacrifices we do for you," she assured. Renee turned to face Lauren and Jessica, who were obviously more receptive to their aunts lunacy then her own daughters were.

"Aunt Reyrey," Lauren asked in her whiny voice, "Do you think Mr. Whitlock'll dance with me at the ball?"

"Oh Lauren," Renee raved, "even though you're the youngest, I'm sure he won't be able to resist you."

Lauren looked unnaturally pensive for a split second before answering in an excited tone, "You know, you're right. I look at least five years older than I am, and _I am_ the tallest."

Bella and Alice exchanged a loaded look again, but didn't say a word.

Renee stood up from her yoga. "Come on girls, let's go take a walk and figure out what we should say to Jasper Whitlock when we meet him." Only Lauren and Jessica followed her.

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**Okay, so I see there are a few of you reading the story. Care to leave a comment? A review? Let me know your thoughts.**

**Next update should be tomorrow.**


	3. A&A Chapter 3

**A/N: Have you all read Pride and Prejudice yet?**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Stephenie Meyer; some characters and major plot and story line belong to Jane Austen. I'm just bringing them to 21****st**** century Forks.**

_She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men._ **– (Mr. Darcy in regards to Elizabeth Bennett) – Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen.**

**Arrogance & Animosity Chapter 3**

No matter how hard Renee and her nieces tried, she couldn't draw one ounce of information on Jasper Whitlock from Charlie. They tried asking in several ways, through bold-faced questions, ingenious suppositions and sneaky surmises; but he refused to spill even one bean; and they finally gave up and settled for second-hand information from Sue Clearwater. She had all sorts of juicy information to give. He was young, about mid-twenties, extremely handsome with short blond hair and eyes bluer than the sky, very social and pleasant, and to top it all off, he was bringing a group of friends with him to the Founder's Day Ball. What more could they ask for?

"If I could see one of my daughters' or one of my nieces' get their hooks into him," Renee admitted to Charlie, "and all the others hook on to one of his friends, I'll have nothing else to wish for."

In a few days, Jasper Whitlock stopped by the Swan residence, to ask Charlie about those wolves he kept hearing howling around the mansion, but unfortunately, all the girls happened to be out at the time. It was a shame, because he'd sort of hoped to catch a glimpse of them, whose beauty he'd heard so much of since he'd been in Forks.

As Jasper was leaving, Charlie promised to have him over for dinner one night; Renee was already planning the main course (Three-cheese macaroni), when Charlie came home with bad news. Mr. Whitlock had had to leave town for a few days, back to Seattle, and was therefore unable to come for dinner. Renee was pissed off, to say the least. She couldn't imagine what kind of business he could have in Seattle so soon after his arrival in Forks; she began to worry that he might always be flitting around from one place to another, and never just chill out in Forks as he ought to. Sue Clearwater calmed her down a bit by giving her the idea that he'd probably gone to Seattle to gather a bunch of his friends to bring back to the Founder's Day Ball, and soon word spread around that Jasper Whitlock was to bring twelve women and seven men with him to the Ball. Jessica and Lauren weren't too happy at the prospect of so many more women to compete with at the ball, but were relieved as all hell the night before the ball to hear that instead of twelve, he'd only brought six women with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when Jasper and his group arrived at the Ball, there were only five of them in all; Jasper, his two cousins, the husband of the oldest, and another young man.

Jasper was as good looking as the rumors implied, and very much a southern gentleman. He had a pleasant attitude, and easy manners. His brother-in-law, James Hurst, only looked like a gentleman; but his friend, Edward Cullen soon drew the attention of the entire ball. He was smokin' hot! Tall, with reddish-brown hair that stood up all over the place, a strong, square jaw-line, a nose and build like a greek god, and the gossip that soon spread around five minutes after his arrival that he was not merely rich, like Jasper, but filthy rich. The men at the ball couldn't help but admit how handsome he was, and the women soon agreed that he was even better looking than Jasper, and he was admired by all for about half the evening, until his rude manners soon disgusted everyone, and he was discovered to be arrogant, to think he was above everyone, to be unpleasant, and not even his huge estate in Seattle could then save him from having a horribly disagreeable demeanor, and completely unworthy to be compared to his friend.

Jasper soon introduced himself to all the main people at the ball; he was lively and unreserved; danced every dance, was angry that the ball was to end so early, and talked of having a party of his own at Netherfield Estate. His friendly qualities spoke for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Edward Cullen danced only one dance with Mrs. Webber and one with Tanya Denali, Jasper's cousin, refused to be introduced to any other young lady, and spent the rest of the evening walking around the room, speaking occasionally only to members of his own party. His character was decided. He was an asshole. He was the most arrogant, stuck-up man in the world, and everyone hoped he'd never come down to Forks again. But among the most disgusted by him was Renee, whose hostility towards his general behavior was sharpened into indignation by his having totally dissed one of her daughters.

Bella had had no choice – due to how few men were in attendance – but to sit out a couple of dances, and during that time, Edward had been standing near enough for her to overhear a conversation between him and Jasper, who'd just stopped dancing long enough to try to convince Edward to join the dance floor.

"Come on, Edward," said Jasper. "You've got to dance. I hate to see you standing by yourself like an idiot. Come join us."

"No friggin' way," Edward responded. "You know I hate dancing unless I know the person I'm dancing with. And at a hoe-down like this," he added disdainfully, "it would be a punishment. Your cousins are both dancing with others, and there isn't another woman in the room who it wouldn't be torture for me to dance with."

"You're being a critical ass," said Jasper. "I swear to God, I've never seen so many fine looking girls in my life as I have tonight, and there are plenty of them that are downright beautiful."

"_You_ are dancing with the only beautiful girl in the room," said Edward, looking at Alice Swan.

"Oh, she definitely is one sweet-looking pixie," Jasper agreed readily, "but there's her sister sitting down just behind you, who's also really pretty, and really sweet too. Do you want me to ask Alice to introduce you?"

"Who do you mean?" asked Edward, turning around. He looked for a moment at Bella, and when he caught her eye, he turned away coldly and said, "She's passable I guess, but not pretty enough for me to give a second thought, and I'm in no mood to entertain girls who can't get any other man. You'd better return to your own partner and enjoy her smiles, because you're just wasting your time with me."

Jasper followed his advice. Edward walked away, and Bella was totally turned off by his words and attitude. She told the story playfully, however, to all her friends, because she had a lively, playful character, and she found Edward and the whole situation to be utterly ridiculous.

All in all, the Swan family had a pleasant evening. Renee was happy to see that Jasper and his friends seemed to have taken a liking to Alice. Jasper had danced with her twice, and his cousins had been really friendly to her. Alice was as excited about this as her mother, though she wasn't as obvious about it. And Bella was happy for Alice. Jessica and Lauren had been fortunate enough to have someone to dance with all night, which was all they cared about. They all returned happily to their home, and found Charlie still up. With ESPN, he couldn't have cared less what time it was, and besides, he was pretty curious about how the much longed for evening had gone. He'd sort of hoped that all of Renee's hopes and views on Jasper Whitlock had been disappointed, but he soon found that it had been quite the opposite.

"Charlie hon, you missed one great ball!" Renee exclaimed as she walked in front of Charlie's TV. "Alice was a hit! Everyone kept talking about how great she looked, and Jasper Whitlock couldn't take his eyes off of her. He asked her to dance twice. Can you believe it? Twice! He asked Leah Clearwater to dance first, and believe me, it pissed me off as all hell, but you know how um…abrasive Leah can be. He didn't seem interested at all. But then he saw Alice, and he started asking around about her and then he asked her to dance. Twice! Then he danced with Angela Webber, and then with Maria Lucas, and then he danced with Alice again, and then with Bella, and then-"

"If he had any compassion for _me_," Charlie groaned, stretching his neck to see past his wife, who was still in front of his TV, "he wouldn't have danced half as much as he did! For God's sakes woman, get out of the way and stop talking about the dance! Damn! He should've sprained his ankle on the first song!"

Renee ignored Charlie and continued talking a mile a minute. "Oh Charlie, he's such a great kid! So cute! And his cousins look like nice girls. You should've seen the clothes they were wearing! I'm sure it was all designer stuff! Just the lace on Kate Denali's miniskirt looked like it was-"

Charlie had to interrupt her here. That's where he drew the line. He wasn't about to sit there and listen to Renee go on and on about fashion and lace. "Enough Renee," he said in an even tone, but the look on his face was enough to get Renee to shut up and move out of his way.

Nevertheless, she continued talking as she bounced from the living room to the kitchen, and back. She moved on to the subject of how unbelievably rude Edward Cullen had been.

"But believe you me," she went on, "that Bella doesn't lose one damn thing by not catching his eye. He is one nasty, stuck-up asshole, and not worth a damn. So high and mighty and conceited," she said, sticking her chin up in the air and walking stiffly, mocking Edward. "He just walked back and forth, thinking he was big shit. He wasn't that good looking really. I wish you would've been there Charlie, to tell him off and put him in his place. I can't stand Edward Cullen!" she finished.

**A/N: So who still loves our darling "Darcyward," even after that nasty put-down? **

**Reviews are better than being slighted by Darcyward at the Founder's Day Ball!**


	4. A&A Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a reminder guys. This is Pride & Prejudice, changed around a bit to fit our Twilight cast in the Twenty-first century. I have no control over how they'll react (except for some minor subplots and dialogue). If you've read P&P, then you basically know what's coming. It's one of the most romantic stories of all time, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Stephenie Meyer; major plot and story line belong to Jane Austen.**

**A&A Chapter 4 **

_He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well-bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offense._**- (**In regards to Mr. Darcy) -** Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen**

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When Alice and Bella were alone in Bella's bedroom that night, Alice, who'd been careful not to show exactly how much she liked Jasper, admitted to her sister how much she really did.

"He's exactly what I've always wanted in a guy," Alice said, "sensible, funny, exciting; and I never met any guy with such good manners! It must be the southerner in him!"

"He's also really cute," Bella replied, "which a guy should be, if it's entirely possible for him. His character is thereby complete."

"I was actually really surprised that he asked me to dance twice. I wasn't expecting it."

"And why not?" Bella asked sincerely. "I did. But that's the difference between you and I. Compliments always take you by surprise, but not me. Of course he'd ask you to dance again. Look at you, you were the prettiest girl there by far! I wouldn't owe it to his manners that he asked you twice. But he really is a nice guy, I'll admit that, and you have my permission to like him," she joked. "You've liked many a stupider man," Bella teased her sister.

"Bella!"

"Oh come on! You're always ready to like everybody! You never see a fault in anyone. Everyone in the world is nice and kind in your eyes. I've never heard you say a mean thing about another human being in my life!"

"I just don't like rushing to premature judgments on anyone, but I always say what I think."

"I know you do, and that's what kills me. With your good sense, you're honestly blind to the stupidity of others! Honesty and openness are common enough – one sees them everywhere. But to be honest without any flashiness or hidden agenda – to take the good of everybody's character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad – well, that's something that belongs to you alone."

Alice smirked but said nothing. It was true and she knew it. But she didn't consider it a fault to be willing to give people the benefit of the doubt.

"So I guess you like Jasper's cousins too, don't you?" Bella accused with a smirk. "Their manners aren't equal to his."

"Well, that may be true at first. But when you speak to them and get to know them, you find that they're really cool to talk to. Tanya Denali is going to stay at Netherfield Estate with Jasper for the summer, and I think she'll be fun to hang out with."

"Mmm," Bella said, but wasn't as convinced. They hadn't been as friendly at the ball as Alice gave them credit for. The fact was, Bella was just more observant in these cases than Alice; her temper was less flexible, and, unclouded by any attention to herself, she found that she wasn't too crazy about the cousins. They were obviously very fine ladies, friendly enough when they were having a good time, nice when they wanted to be, but obviously stuck-up and conceited. They were beautiful, that was for sure, and Bella had heard them mention they'd attended Dartmouth in New Hampshire, and brag about how rich they were, as well as all the cars they owned, and the yachts and jewels, etc. It had become obvious to her that they thought very highly of themselves, and thought everyone else inferior. They came from a respectable family in the South, but they acted like dumb debutantes who believed themselves to be from 'old money,' conveniently forgetting that their fortune and good name, as well as their cousin Jasper's, had been built by smuggling booze during the Prohibition Era.

Jasper had inherited a crap-load of money from his father. He was now looking to buy his own estate, but hadn't decided exactly where yet, and those who knew how easy-going he could be could easily see him remaining comfortably in the as-of-now-only-rented Netherfield Estate in the woods of Forks indefinitely.

His cousins were very anxious for him to have an estate of his own, for the prestige it would bring to the family. Nevertheless, his cousin Tanya had no problem sponging off of him, nor did his cousin Irina - who'd married James Hurst, a useless man with looks and style, but no money to back it up – have a problem with considering his house her home when it suited her. Jasper had just come into his trust fund a couple of years before, and needing a summer getaway before he took the bar exam in September, had looked into Netherfield Estate. The town of Forks and its surrounding area had come highly recommended for its quiet beauty, nestled between the majestic Olympic Mountain Range. He'd toured the mansion's grounds and it's inner rooms quickly and had fallen in love with it.

Between Jasper and Edward, there was a very strong friendship, even though they were polar opposites in character. Edward was drawn to Jasper by his easy, open temper, and the flexibility of his character, traits which were totally at odds with his own, although with his own he never appeared to have a problem. Jasper had a very high regard for Edward's opinion, and for his judgment. There was an unspoken understanding that Edward was the superior in the friendship. Not that Jasper was slow, but Edward was extremely clever. But at the same time, he was egotistical, unsociable, critical, and his manners, though well-bred, were cold. In that respect, Jasper had all the advantage. Jasper was sure of being liked wherever he went; Edward was forever offending people.

The manner in which they spoke of the Founder's Day Ball was sufficiently characteristic of their differing personalities. Jasper insisted he'd never met with nicer people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been kind and attentive, there had been no formality, no stiffness; he'd soon felt like he'd known everyone there for years; and as for Alice, he couldn't conceive of a more beautiful angel. Edward, on the other hand, had found everyone there to be lacking in beauty and fashion, all dull, uninteresting people, and had had a horrible, boring time. He admitted that Alice had been pretty, but he felt she smiled too much, and was too bouncy and short.

Jasper's cousins agreed with Edward, but they still thought Alice had been a sweet girl, and one they wouldn't mind hanging out with while in Forks.

And since everyone agreed that Alice was, in fact, a sweet girl, Jasper felt completely at ease to think of her as he chose.

* * *

**A/N: Edward may need a good serving of humble pie in the near future, and I'm sure we can all guess who should be the one to feed it to him. Don't worry. For those of you who've read P&P, you know we've got more E&B interaction coming up. **

**And anyway, who of us can really resist a conceited Darcyward?**


	5. A&A Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Major plot and storyline belong to Jane Austen.**

**A&A – Chapter 5**

_I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine." –_ (Elizabeth Bennett regarding Mr. Darcy) – **Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5, Jane Austen.**

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Within a short drive from the Swan household lived another family who the Swans were very close to. Harry Clearwater was the Tribal Leader of the Quileute Nation, a tribe that lived on the tiny reservation at La Push, near Forks. As the leader, he was obviously a well-respected man, and he'd had an encounter with a wolf once, where he'd been left unscathed. This distinction had apparently gone to his head, and he was constantly thinking of his own importance. But although he thought himself more as one with Mother Earth than most, he was not an unfriendly man; on the contrary, he paid very close attention to every one else. By nature, he was naturally pleasant, friendly, and obliging, and his ability to communicate with woodland creatures made him courteous as well.

Sue Clearwater was a kind woman also, not too clever to make herself invaluable to Renee. They had two children. The eldest, Leah, was a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-two, who was one of Bella's best friends. Her snarky attitude though, as well as the sarcastic sneer that was almost always plastered on her face, kept her from being truly beautiful.

The Swan and Clearwater women met often for friendly chatter, and the morning after the Founder's Day Ball found them all gathered around the Clearwater's kitchen table to gossip over the previous night.

"_You_ began the evening well, Leah," said Renee civilly. "You were the first one Jasper Whitlock danced with."

"Yes, - but he seemed to like his second choice better," answered Leah with a playful scowl.

"Oh, you mean Alice, I suppose," said Renee, feigning nonchalance, "because he danced with her twice. I suppose that _does_ imply that he liked her – in fact, I'm pretty sure that he _did_ – I heard something about it – I can't remember exactly what – something from Mrs. Webber."

"Maybe you mean what I overheard between him and Mrs. Webber; didn't I mention it to you?" Leah encouraged, playing along with Renee. "Mrs. Webber asked him how he was enjoying the Ball, and whether he thought there were plenty of pretty girls in town, and _which_ exactly he found to be the prettiest, and he answered right away, "Without a doubt, Alice Swan is the prettiest here."

"Well, you don't say?" Renee gushed. "That was pretty straightforward, wasn't it? But, well…anyway, it doesn't necessarily mean anything, you know."

"I guess what I overheard was more interesting than what you did, Bella," Leah teased her friend. "Edward Cullen isn't as worth listening in on as his friend is, is he? Poor Bella! To be only just _passable_."

"Pshh" Renee guffawed, "Do me a favor Leah, please don't put it into Bella's head to be put off by that man's snub. He's such an ass that I'd be worried if he _had_ liked her! Mrs. Cope told me last night that he sat next to her for half an hour without once opening his lips."

"Are you sure about that mom?" Alice asked. "Maybe there's been some sort of mistake. I'm sure I saw Edward Cullen speaking to her."

"Only because she asked him how he was liking Netherfield Estate and he couldn't help but answering – but she said he looked very upset at having been spoken to."

"Tanya Denali told me," Alice began, "that he never speaks unless he's among his close friends. With _them_ he's extremely friendly."

"I don't believe that crap," Renee replied, rolling her eyes. "If he was really that friendly, he would've spoken to Mrs. Cope. But I'm pretty sure I can guess why he didn't. Everyone says that he's extremely snobbish, and I'm sure he probably heard that Mrs. Cope doesn't even have a car, and had to take public transportation to the ball."

"I don't mind that he didn't speak to Mrs. Cope," Leah confirmed, "but I wish he'd danced with Bella."

"If there's another party while he's still here," Renee said to Bella, "I wouldn't dance with _him_, if I were you."

"I'm pretty sure I can promise you mom," replied Bella, "that I'll _never_ dance with him."

"His ego," said Leah, "doesn't offend me as much as egos often do, because there's an excuse for it. It's not hard to see that such a fine specimen of a man, from a good family, filthy rich, everything a woman could want, would think highly of himself. If I may say, I think he has a right to be egotistical."

"That's true, I guess," replied Bella, "and I could easily forgive his ego, if he hadn't stomped all over _mine_."

"Over-inflated egos," added Lauren, who thought herself to be quite the philosopher due to all the OK! magazines she read, "is a very common problem, I believe. From everything that I've read, I'm convinced of it, that people are particularly prone to it, and that very few of us don't feel a sense of superiority over others based on one quality or another, whether it be real or imagined. Pride and arrogance are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being arrogant. Pride is more about what we believe about ourselves, while arrogance is closer related to what we'd have others think of us."

"If I were as rich as Edward Cullen," cried Leah's younger brother Seth, who'd run into the kitchen looking for some cookies, "I wouldn't care how arrogant I was. I'd buy the most expensive cars, and drink a bottle of Jack Daniel's everyday."

"Then you'd drink a lot more than you should," his mother corrected, "and if I saw you, I'd take the bottle away from you right away."

Seth complained that he wouldn't let her take it away, and Mrs. Clearwater insisted that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.

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**Reviews please and thank you! Let me know what you're thinking so far.**


	6. A&A Chapter 6

**A&A Chapter 6**

"_My mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."_ – (Mr. Darcy, regarding Ms. Bennett's eyes.) – **Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, Ch. 6**

* * *

The Swan women soon paid a visit to the ladies of Netherfield Estate, and the visit was soon returned. Alice's fun personality soon grew on Tanya and Irina; and although Renee was found to be a pain in the ass and Lauren and Jessica not worth talking to, Alice and Bella were found to be worth getting to know. Alice was happy to make two new friends; but Bella still found them to be sickeningly arrogant in the way they treated everyone – including Alice – and couldn't find it in herself to like them. Bella also figured that a large reason for their interest in Alice arose from Jasper's interest in her. It was pretty obvious to everyone whenever Alice and Jasper met that he really liked her, and to Bella it was equally obvious that Alice was beginning to like him more and more, and was actually pretty much in danger of falling love. But Bella thought, with relief, that Alice's feelings for Jasper were not likely to be discovered by the world in general, because Alice – although generally bouncy and cheerful – knew when to tone it down some in front of a nosy audience. She mentioned this to Leah.

"It might be a good idea," agreed Leah, "to hide your true feelings from the public, in a town as nosy as Forks. But sometimes it's not such a good idea to be so subtle. If she hides her feelings for Jasper from him as well as she does from everyone else, she might miss out on her chance of bagging him. And then knowing that she was able to trick all of Forks will be little consolation when she finds herself all sad and lonely. We all need a little encouragement to know that our feelings aren't just one way. There's no doubt that Jasper's got the hots for Alice, but he may never have more than just the hots for her unless Alice helps him out, if you know what I mean," Leah finished, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Bella smirked. "She does help him out Leah, or as much as she can without actually jumping his bones," said Bella, making Leah laugh. "And if I can tell she really likes him, he'd have to be an idiot not to see it himself."

"Um, hello? We _are_ talking about a man here, aren't we?" Leah joked. "And anyway, don't forget Bella, Jasper doesn't know Alice as well as you do. He may not be as able to read her signs."

"Well, as a man, isn't that his job? To read the signs?"

Leah shrugged. "Maybe. If he were to see enough of her. But Alice and Jasper haven't spent more than just a few hours together, and most, if not all, of that time has been around friends. It's hard to read the signs when there are so many other people around. Alice needs to make the most of every moment they spend alone together. And once she's got him hooked, then she can go back and play games with him all she wants," she finished with a wry smile.

"You're plan's a good one," Bella said, "where the obvious goal is to land yourself a rich boyfriend, and if I wanted to get myself a rich guy, or any type of guy for that matter, I'd probably be taking notes right now. But that's not Alice's plan; she's not looking for a boyfriend right now. She's off to New York City in a few months. I'm sure she's not even sure of her own feelings for him right now, much less of how deserving of them Jasper actually is! She's only known him for two weeks! She danced with him for half-an-hour at the Ball, she saw him one morning at his own house when she went to hang out with Tanya and Irina, and she's hung out with him four other times as part of a group. A committed relationship that hardly makes!" Bella joked.

"Well, no. Not the way you put it," Leah agreed half-heartedly. "If she'd only hung out with him four times, then I'd agree with you that that's not enough to know what he's really like. But every time they've been together, they haven't left each other's sides, even if they have been with other people. All that time together should be enough to learn _something_ about each other.

"Yes, all that time together has shown them that they both like Beer Pong more than Darts, but I doubt they've uncovered anything more important than that about each other's characters."

"Well," said Leah, "I wish Alice the best. And if she were to do him tomorrow, I think their relationship would stand as good a chance as if she were to wait a year for it. Sexual compatibility is entirely a matter of chance. No matter how well-known the personalities of both parties are, or how similar they may be, it doesn't make the least bit of difference in how they get on together," Leah purred with a smirk. "Eventually, they'll get to know each other well enough to piss each other off anyway. Better to know as little as possible about the person you're gonna screw beforehand anyway."

Bella laughed out loud. "You're a freakin' nut-job Leah. But it doesn't make any sense; you know it doesn't, and you'd never act that way yourself."

Bella had been so busy observing Jasper's attention to Alice, that she hadn't noticed that she herself was becoming an object of interest to his friend, Edward.

Edward had, at first, barely allowed himself to think of Bella as pretty; he hadn't thought much of her at the ball. The next time they'd met, he'd looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that he couldn't find one good thing to say about her face, that he began to find that her dark, chocolate eyes surprisingly lit up her face. He then discovered some other surprising and alarming features. Though he'd checked her out on the down low on more than one occasion and had decided that there was nothing special about her figure, he was forced to admit that though she was slender, she was definitely curvy in all the right places. And despite the fact that he'd agreed that she wouldn't be winning any fashion awards, he was caught by her easy, laid back appearance.

Bella was completely unaware of everything going through Edward's mind. To her, he was nothing but the stuck-up loser who acted like an arrogant ass everywhere, and who hadn't thought her to be interesting enough to dance with.

Edward's curiosity about Bella grew, and as a step towards actually having a conversation with her, he'd listen in on her conversations with others. Bella wasn't completely blind; it was at a party at Leah's house where she noticed this much.

"What the hell is Cullen's problem?" she said to Leah. "Why the hell is he listening in on my conversation with Tyler Crowley?"

"That's a question only Edward can answer," said Leah.

"Well, if he keeps it up I'm going to have to say something. He has a very sarcastic eye, and if I don't begin by being a bitch myself, I might soon become afraid of him," she joked.

Soon afterwards, Edward began approaching them, although it didn't seem as if he had any intention of actually saying anything. Leah, anxious to see some action, dared Bella to say something to him, which immediately provoked Bella.

She turned to him and said, "So Edward, what'd you think of my suggestion to Tyler that he throw a party at his house?" she asked, letting him know she'd noticed his eavesdropping. "Don't you think it's a good idea?"

Shamelessly, Edward responded, "It's a good idea I suppose. I know how much you girls enjoy your parties."

"Ooh, that's harsh," she replied sarcastically, with a roll of her eyes.

Seeing Bella's anger starting to flare, Leah cut in, "Well, pretty soon it'll be your turn to be teased Bella. I'm pulling out the Karaoke. You know what that means."

Bella smirked. "You know, I don't know why I consider you one of my best friends Leah. Always wanting me to embarrass myself in front of people. If I'd been born with any musical talent, then your efforts would be greatly appreciated. But as it is, I'd really rather not go up there in front of people," – she gave Edward a meaningful sideways glance – "who must be used to so much more sophisticated voices and forms of entertainment."

But at Leah's insistence, she finally gave up and said, "Oh fine! If it's the only way to get you off my back!"

She turned to Edward and with a mockingly serious glance towards Leah, said to him, "There's an old saying, 'those who can, do; those who can't, bully.'" Leah gave her a playful shove and Bella laughed.

Bella's performance was fun, though by no means spectacular. After a couple of songs, and before anyone could ask her to sing any Katy Perry songs, her cousin Lauren eagerly took her place. Being the least talented in the family, Lauren was always eager to show off, completely unaware of how truly sick she sounded up there.

Lauren had absolutely no taste; and although her conceitedness had led her to take vocal lessons, her swelled head led her to pick songs with notes which she had no chance in holy hell of ever hitting. Bella's easy and comfortable voice had been listened to with much more pleasure, although she'd never had a voice lesson in her life. Lauren, after hogging up the Karaoke, decided to start rapping, at Jessica's request, who with some of the other people at the party, started dancing off in one corner of the room.

Edward stood off to the side, disgusted at the display Jessica and the others were putting on with their bumping and grinding. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized Seth Clearwater was right next to him until he said,

"Hey Edward, doesn't this party kick ass? There's nothing like a good hip-hop song to get a party going. Doesn't that beat make you feel good?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Edward. "I feel right at home in this part of the 'hood."

Seth gave him a confused look, but continued. "Jasper's not wasting any time getting busy over there, is he?" he noted, after seeing Jasper join the group. "Do you dance Edward?"

"You saw me dancing at the Founder's Day Ball, didn't you?"

Seth shrugged. "I wasn't really paying attention. Too many pretty girls to look at," he said, glancing towards Bella. Edward noticed this and narrowed his eyes. "I guess you probably went to a lot of parties at Harvard, huh?" Seth questioned.

"Not really."

"Harvard parties must've been a blast."

"I wouldn't know. I had more important things to do than party when I was at Harvard."

"I heard you've got a house in Seattle," said Seth.

Edward nodded.

"I tried to get my mom and dad to buy a house in Seattle, but they refuse to leave the rez."

Seth paused, hoping for some sort of comment from Edward, but Edward remained silent.

At that moment, Bella began to move towards them. Though Seth thought Bella was really cute, he knew she'd never go for her best friend's little brother, so he decided to try to play matchmaker instead.

"Hey Bella, why aren't you dancing? Edward, I don't know if you know this man, but Bella can really get her swag on out on the dance floor. Why don't you two go out there and show the rest of these guys how it's really done!" And reaching out for her, he would've taken her hand and given it to Edward, who – though extremely surprised, would've been more than happy to take it - if Bella hadn't drawn back as if she'd been bitten by a snake, and with her eyes flashing turned to Seth.

"Seth, I don't have any plans to dance tonight. And even if I did, I don't need to come over here begging for a partner."

"I'd be more than happy to join you out on the floor," Edward murmured, even though just a few minutes ago he'd been going on about how much he hated dancing.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Bella responded flatly.

"But Bella," Seth insisted, "you're so freakin' good out there. Why don't you at least dance a song or two? And even though Edward's been telling me how much he hates dancing, I'm sure he wouldn't mind joining you for a little while."

"Oh yes. Edward is _so_ kind," said Bella smiling.

"Yup," agreed Seth. "But considering who his partner would be, I doubt it would be such a great sacrifice on his part."

Arching an eyebrow, Bella turned and walked away without another word. But her attitude hadn't hurt her in the eyes of Edward at all. In fact, he was thinking of her with growing pleasure when he was cornered by Tanya.

"I know what you're thinking."

"I doubt it."

"You're thinking of how unbearable it would be to pass the whole summer this way – in this sort of company. And believe me, I completely agree with you. I've never been more bored in my life! The dreariness and yet the noise – the nothingness and yet the self-importance of all these people! I'd love to hear what you've got to say about them!"

"Believe me your presumptions are totally wrong. My mind was more agreeably entertained than that. I've been thinking about the great pleasure that a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can give."

Tanya immediately gazed up at him through her fake eyelashes, and blinking prettily, asked him who exactly inspired him to say that.

Edward answered resolutely, "Bella Swan."

Tanya's face fell. "Bella Swan!" she repeated. Recovering herself slightly, she said, "Wow. That's a shock. And tell me, how long have you liked her, and when's the wedding?"

"That's exactly the question I expected you to ask. A woman's imagination runs away with her very easily. It jumps from admiration to love, from love to marriage, in a moment. I knew you'd be asking me when the wedding was."

"Well, if you're that serious about it, I'll consider the matter as completely settled. You'll have a wonderful mother-in-law, by the way, and of course, she'll always be hanging out in Seattle with you two."

Edward paid Tanya no mind as she went on like this. And since she saw that he wasn't complaining about what she said, she indeed went on and on.

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**So, Darcyward has the hots for our little Bella, does he? Hmmm.**

**Reviews are almost as good as having the satisfaction of turning Edward down for a dance after he's dissed you!**


	7. A&A Chapter 7

**A&A Ch. 7**

**A/N: So, some of you have told me you're enjoying the story, although you've never read P&P, and while I'm happy to know you're enjoying this anyway, I've got to urge you to go read P&P. If you're reading this it's because you enjoy love stories, and really, there are few, if any, love stories better than P&P.**

**I've expanded on this chapter a bit, just to fit our Twilight story line a bit better. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Major plot and story line belong to Jane Austen.**

_"Well, my dear," said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, "if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness-if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders."_ – **Mr. Bennett to Mrs. Bennett, regarding their daughter Jane.**

* * *

As Chief of Police in the small town of Forks, Charlie Swan did okay, although by no means were he and his family living in the lap of luxury. Supposedly to supplement their income, Renee was the neighborhood Avon Representative, but she spent more on beauty products for herself, as well as for Lauren and Jessica, than what she brought in from her sales. Bella and Alice worked part-time at the local supermarket, saving up money for college, while Lauren and Jessica did nothing but watch Jersey Shore and harvest their crops on Facebook all day.

Renee's father, the late Tom Jenks, had owned and managed the McDonald's in Port Angeles, not far from the local university. When he passed away, her brother Phil took over the business. She also had another brother, Jay Jenks, living in Seattle. He was an attorney.

Forks was a half hour drive or so from Port Angeles. A short drive for the girls who usually went three or four times a week to hang out and to visit their Uncle Phil. The two youngest girls especially, Lauren and Jessica, were often in Port Angeles, since they had no jobs or anything else useful to keep them busy. So a trip to Port Angeles was often necessary to waste away their morning hours and provide them with enough gossip for the evening. And however little may have been going on in Forks itself, they were always able to learn something of interest from their uncle Phil. At the moment, they were extremely happy with the arrival of the college freshmen who'd hit town early to take summer classes at the university.

Their visits to their uncle's Mickey Ds were now the most exciting thing going on in their lives. Every day, they met a new young college boy who'd dropped in for a Big Mac and fries. Uncle Phil even hired a few of them for the summer, much to his nieces delight. They could talk of nothing else but the cute college boys working for their uncle; and Jasper's deep pockets, which still greatly excited their aunt Renee, meant nothing to them compared to the sight of Peninsula College's brightest in their yellow and black McDonald's uniforms.

After listening to them drone on and on endlessly about this subject for a few hours one morning, Charlie coolly observed,

"From all that I've heard coming out of your mouths, you two have to be stupidest girls in town. I've suspected it for some time, but now I'm truly convinced."

Lauren was thoroughly shocked into silence, but Jessica, not giving a damn what her uncle said, kept right on talking about EricYorkie, and how she hoped to see him again tomorrow.

Renee gave Charlie an incredulous glare. "I can't even believe you would say something like that to your own nieces," she hissed. "If I were to think something so horrible about anyone's family, it sure wouldn't be my own."

"If my nieces are a couple of idiots, I should hope I'd be smart enough to realize it."

"Well, as it happens, they are not idiots," Renee scowled. "They are both very smart actually."

"Well thank God Renee," Charlie teased, "that this is the only point on which you and I disagree. It would'a been nice to know that you and I could always agree on everything, but I must respectfully tell you that I think our nieces are the biggest airheads to ever walk through Forks."

"Charlie!" Renee barked. "You can't expect the girls to be as sensible as you and me. I'm sure when they get to be our age they won't think about college boys or uniformed boys-"

- "Uniformed boys!" Charlie interrupted, barely containing his laughter. "I'd hardly consider the yellow and black uniforms of the McDonald's crew to be military grade!"-

"_or_ _uniformed boys_," Renee, continued, ignoring him, "anymore than we do!" I remember hanging out at my dad's McDonald's as a kid and having the hots for some of the boys working there. And if a smart, young college boy working at McDonald's would want to date one of my girls, I wouldn't object."

Just then the phone rang, saving Charlie from having to continue such an inane conversation with Renee. He quickly reached for it and handed it to Alice.

"For you honey," he said, handing the phone to one of the only creatures he considered sensible in his household.

Renee had seen that the caller-ID said 'Whitlock', and she eyed Alice eagerly while she was on the phone.

Once Alice hung up, Renee sprang on her immediately.

"Well? Who was it? What did they want? Hurry up Alice! Tell me!"

"It was Tanya," said Alice. "She said she and Irina are really bored this afternoon, so she called to see if I wanted to come over. Her brother and the rest of the guys are in Port Angeles-"

"Port Angeles!" cried Jessica. "I wonder if they're at McDonalds…"

"Mom, can I borrow your car? Our truck is acting kind of funny, and I wouldn't want to get stuck-"

"No Alice. Take your own truck. If you get stuck, maybe Jasper'll be forced to drive you home."

"That would be a good plan mom," Bella pointed out through pursed lips, "if you could be sure that Tanya or Irina wouldn't be the ones to drive her back."

"Oh, but if the guys are in Port Angeles, they probably took Jasper's Audi and Edward's Volvo. Tanya and Irina only have that two-seater Corvette."

"I'd really rather borrow your car mom."

"Sorry Alice. I can't spare it."

With a sigh and a smirk directed at her mother, Alice had no choice but to take the Chevy Truck she and Bella shared. Renee walked her to the door cheerfully exclaiming that it looked like a big storm was headed their way, and she might get stuck at Netherfield Estate for the night.

Her hopes were promptly answered. Alice hadn't been gone long before a major downpour hit. Bella was worried for Alice, but Renee couldn't have been more delighted. The storm continued all evening without end, growing worse and worse. It certainly didn't seem like a good idea for Alice to attempt the drive home in the truck. Eventually, she called home and let them know that she was, after all, spending the night, since Jasper and the rest of the guys were still out and there was no one to bring her home.

"This was definitely one of my best ideas." Renee congratulated herself, as if she'd somehow opened up the skies herself. She wasn't aware of the fact that her plan had worked out even better than she suspected until the phone rang the next morning, and Bella answered it.

"Hey Bella," Alice squeaked in a hoarse voice. "The truck got stuck half-way to Netherfield last night and I got soaked getting out to give it a push."

"Aw crap." Bella groaned.

"Yeah well. I woke up feeling like crap this morning, and the guys here won't let me leave until I'm better."

"Do you have a fever?" asked Bella, concern wrinkling her brow.

"A slight one. Don't worry. Other than that, body aches, chills and a sore throat, I'm fine."

Bella rolled her eyes. She hung up and told her parents.

"Well hon," Charlie said in a flat-voice from behind his paper, "if your daughter catches pneumonia and dies, at least you'll be comforted to know it was in pursuit of Jasper, and under your instruction."

Renee smirked. "Oh please. I'm not afraid of her catching pneumonia. What are we, in the 1700s? People don't die of little colds. She'll be well taken care of over there. Didn't I hear that that Cullen kid just graduated from Harvard Medical School? As long as she stays there, she'll be fine. If Lauren and Jessica weren't leaving for Port Angeles right now in the car, I'd go check in on her."

Charlie had to get to work, so he couldn't offer to take Renee in the cruiser. But Bella, feeling anxious for her sister, was determined to go, with or without a car. And since the truck and her mother's car were gone, she decided to bike it over there.

"Are you freakin' crazy?" her mother yelled. "You can't bike all the way to Netherfield Estate! It's at least ten miles from here. Through the wet forest no less! You'll be a muddy mess by the time you get there!"

"I'll be fit enough to see Alice, which is all I care about."

"Is this a hint to me Bella," asked Charlie, "to drive you over there?"

"No, dad. It's fine," Bella assured him. "Don't be late to work. I don't mind biking, you know that. It's not that far. I should be back in a few hours."

"That's really thoughtful of you," said Lauren sarcastically, "but every action, no matter how thoughtful, should be thought through carefully. And in my opinion, one shouldn't get carried away by their feelings."

Bella stared at Lauren like she had three heads, and then shaking her head quickly, reached for her bag.

"Bella, we can take you as far as the one-oh-one," Jessica offered, "But then we'll be going in the opposite direction."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Bella answered, throwing on her sneakers. "I'll just bike it all the way."

Jessica and Lauren shrugged.

"If we hurry, maybe we'll catch Eric before he takes his afternoon break!" Jessica exclaimed.

The girls each went their own way; the youngest to Port Angeles, and Bella to Netherfield Estate on her bike. She kept to the side of the highway most of the way, but then decided to take a short cut right through the forest for the last couple of miles, walking through the damp mud. She jumped over broken branches and bracken, and sprang over puddles the previous night's storm had left behind. At last, she was within view of the big, white house. With tired feet, wet, dirty clothes and a face glowing from exercise, she rang the fancy doorbell.

Tanya opened the door. Her eyes grew wide in shock as she took in the girl before her.

"Bella," she exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the condition Bella was in. She invited her in and with a forced smile asked, "What's going on?"

"I came to see how Alice is doing." Bella's wet shoes squeaked through the hallway as she made her way past Tanya.

Tanya stuck her head out the door and upon seeing Bella's bike outside turned back to her in undisguised horror.

"You mean you _biked_ all the way over here to see how Alice was doing?"

"Yup," Bella replied nonchalantly. She was currently busy squeezing the water out of her hair, where it dripped all over the white marble tiles.

"But it must be at least ten miles," Tanya gawked.

"Fourteen, actually," Bella corrected her. "I set my bike's odometer." She smiled at Tanya, enjoying the stunned look on her face.

Tanya was indeed startled, and for a few seconds couldn't say a word. Recovering herself, she invited Bella into the family room, where everyone but Alice was gathered.

The room came to a hushed silence upon Bella's entry, until they all came to their senses and greeted her politely.

Jasper was the only one who walked over to her. He reached out for her wet hair and tugged on it playfully.

"You're soaked Bella! Tanya, go bring a towel for Bella. You want some coffee or hot chocolate?" he offered. "Irina, go make Bella some hot chocolate," he demanded before Bella could respond.

"I'm fine. Please, don't go through so much trouble. I'm used to getting wet," Bella said, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"It's no trouble at all," Jasper assured her. Once his cousins had left the room, he leaned into Bella and whispered, "Let them earn their keep." Then he winked at her conspiratorially. Bella smiled but didn't say anything.

"Take those wet socks and sneakers off," Jasper instructed, kneeling down to help her take them off. "Edward, looks like we may have another patient for you. Why don't you go grab that stethoscope of yours so you can play doctor with Bella?" he teased.

Bella looked up into Edward's startled green eyes. He mumbled something unintelligible. "I-uh…"

"Oh stop it," Bella chided Jasper, smacking his arm. Jasper laughed.

Edward didn't know what else to say, so he said nothing more at all. He was torn between doubt that the situation with Bella's sister had really called for such a foolish trip in such weather, and mesmerized by the picture Bella made. Her long, wet hair hung wildly around her face; she'd taken her sneakers and socks off, and stood barefoot before them, and Edward couldn't resist looking down at her feet, which looked extremely soft and delicate. When she removed her raincoat, he had to suck in his breath when he saw all she had underneath was a plain, white ribbed tank-top, which hugged her chest and tiny waist perfectly. And finally, her face; her face was flushed from the exertion she'd put herself through, giving her complexion a wonderful brilliancy.

After drying herself off with the towel and taking a few obligatory sips of the hot chocolate she'd been given, Bella asked about Alice.

With a frown, Jasper answered, "I'm afraid she's not feeling too well. When I last checked on her, she had a bit of a fever, but Edward's given her some Ibuprofen. I suggested she stay in bed in the guest room and rest."

"Mind if I go see her?" Bella asked anxiously.

"I'll take you up," Tanya offered.

They left the family room and quickly made their way up the winding staircase to one of the large guestrooms in the mansion. When they opened the door, Alice's face lit up at the sight of her sister. Only her fear of worrying Bella had kept her from asking her to come see her over the phone earlier. Alice wasn't up for much conversation though.

When Tanya left them alone, all Alice could say was, "Oh Bella, they've all been so kind to me. I'm really very lucky."

Bella chuckled, smoothing back her sister's hair. "Well it's not like they could've thrown you out into the rain."

Alice attempted a small smile. "True. But they've all been very attentive. Jasper's been in here at least four times today, and Tanya and Irina have checked on me a couple of times to see if I need anything."

Bella wondered to herself if Tanya and Irina would've been so attentive if 1) it wasn't at their cousin Jasper's urging, and 2) it wasn't raining cats and dogs outside, preventing them from going anywhere. But she remained silent and instead fluffed up Alice's pillows and made sure the blankets were warmly bundled around her.

After a while, Tanya and Irina came up to Alice's room to join them.

"Alice sweety, how are you feeling? I brought you some Campbell's chicken soup," Tanya crooned in a sing-song voice.

"And I brought you up a couple of movies to watch, so you don't get too bored up here," Irina added.

"Thanks guys. That's really thoughtful," Alice whispered in a hoarse voice.

Tanya and Irina then sat with Bella and Alice to watch a movie; some vampire flick that engrossed them all immediately. When Bella saw how much attention the cousins were paying to her sister, she started to wonder if perhaps she had been too hard on them.

In the middle of the movie, two quick raps on the door made them all jump.

"Come in," Bella called out.

Edward opened the door and walked in slowly, his lips set in a tight line and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere other than there.

Not looking at anyone in particular he said, "I came to check on Alice, if she doesn't mind." His eyes quickly flashed to Bella. "I hope I'm not disturbing."

Bella shrugged. "It's up to Alice."

Alice smiled weakly. "Thanks Edward. I really appreciate it."

Tanya batted her eyelashes, flashing Edward a huge grin. "Girls, let's give _Dr. Cullen_," – she breathed seductively – "and his patient some privacy," she suggested, standing up. Irina and Bella stood up with her.

"Edward, is it okay if Bella stays with me?" Alice asked.

"If you don't mind, I don't," Edward responded.

Bella sat back down and Tanya, looking somewhat flustered, exited the room with her sister.

Edward sat on the opposite edge of the bed Bella was sitting on. He gently took Alice's hand to help her sit up, and then angled himself so that he was sitting behind Alice. Blowing lightly on his stethoscope first to warm it up, he lifted the bottom of Alice's t-shirt and placed the stethoscope against her back.

"Take a few deep breaths," he instructed. His tone was professional but not unfriendly. Alice did as she was told.

When he was done, he moved to face Alice. "Open your mouth." Again, Alice complied quietly. He then proceeded to examine her throat with his medical instrument before moving on to each ear. He gently tugged on each ear with one hand as he placed the light of the instrument close to each ear, and moved in close enough so that Alice could feel his breath on her cheek.

When he was done with that, he rubbed both his hands together quickly and placed two fingers on either side of her neck, massaging softly.

"Does that hurt?" he asked in a low voice.

Alice, whose eyes had gotten half-lidded by this point, snapped them open quickly. "Um, what?"

Bella hid a smirk.

"Does it feel painful when I touch your throat here?" Edward repeated, moving each set of two fingers in slow circles over Alice's neck.

"Uh, no. It definitely doesn't feel painful," Alice whispered.

Edward frowned, looking somewhat confused. He dropped his hands away and Alice exhaled softly while Edward put away his instruments. Bella fought to suppress a laugh at her sister's expense.

Edward stood up. "Everything still looks clear Alice. Looks like it's just a really bad cold. Keep resting and drink plenty of fluids. You should be fine in a few days."

Alice lay back down. "Thanks Edward," she offered in a weak voice.

Edward nodded and moved his eyes to Bella. She half-smiled at him before turning back to Alice to reiterate what he'd said about rest and fluids. With a serious expression, Edward took the opportunity to excuse himself and left the sisters to themselves.

As soon as the door was closed behind him, Bella burst into laughter. She fanned Alice's face and asked, "Are you okay? Should I get you some smelling salts, a change of panties? Do you need a cigarette?"

"Oh shut up!" Aliced growled, but she couldn't suppress a smile. "See how you would've faired if it would've been you he was examining."

"I'd rather die a slow, painful death than ever let him examine me. Besides, he does absolutely nothing for me," Bella assured Alice.

"Then you're either blind or dead," Alice snorted quietly.

"You'd better not let Jasper hear you saying that," Bella teased.

Alice's smile widened at the mention of Jasper. "Believe me, Jasper has nothing to worry about. Assuming he'd care one way or the other," she corrected.

"Oh trust me. He'd care," Bella said.

Just then, Tanya and Irina walked back into the room, and they resumed watching their movie without another word.

The girls spent the remainder of the afternoon in Alice's room, until Bella decided she should start heading home if she didn't want to get caught out in the dark. Tanya offered to drive her home, and Bella readily accepted. The movie was turned off and the news channel came on air.

"…wind gusts in excess of sixty-five miles an hour. Visibility in the Olympic area is close to zero. Batten down the hatches guys. This storm's going to be one for the records. No one should be out in this. Unless it's an emergency, stay where you are…"

"Bella, you can't go in this! It's practically a tornado out there!" Alice cried.

Before Bella could respond, her cell phone chimed. A look at the caller-ID showed it was Charlie.

"Bella, things are really ugly out there. I can come get you if you really want me to, but I think it'd be better if you just stayed there for the night."

Bella didn't want to argue with her father, or risk having him come get her in such horrible weather. But the thought of spending the night at Netherfield…

"Dad, I-"

Three raps at the door cut her off mid-sentence. Jasper opened the door quickly, with Edward standing close behind him, looking as uncomfortable as ever.

"Bella, there's no way we're letting you go home in this. You're spending the night."

"I have no clothes," she responded, both to Jasper and her father, who was still on the phone.

"Jazz please, tell her she has to stay," Alice begged. Jasper quickly went to her side and took her hand, offering her a comforting smile.

Jasper turned to Tanya. "Hey cuz, didn't you just go shopping a couple'a days ago? I know I saw you come in with all sorts'a shopping bags."

"Uh, yes," Tanya responded coolly. Her eyes flashed to Bella and Bella could've sworn she saw the beginnings of contempt on her face. "But-"

"Let me ask you something," Jasper interrupted her before she could continue. "Is that what you needed to _borrow_ a few hundred dollars for that morning?"

"Um, yes but-" Tanya stuttered, growing pale.

"Well then, that kills two birds with one stone. You no longer owe me that money, and now Bella has clothes for the next couple'a days."

Tanya had no other choice but to comply, and Bella had no choice but to consent to stay. And she asked her father to let everyone at home know that she'd be at Netherfield for the next couple of days.

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**A/N: Hmm. So things start heating up.**

**Reviews are almost as good as a physical examination by Dr. Darcyward. Leave one please! Let me know what you're thinking. It'll only take you ten seconds and it'll totally make my day!**


	8. A&A Chapter 8

**Disclaimer – All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Major plot and story line belong to Jane Austen.**

**A&A Chapter 8**

"_I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."_

"_Not at all," he replied; "they were brightened by the exercise."_ **– Pride and Prejudice, Chapter. 8, Jane Austen**

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Later that evening, after the whole uproar about Bella staying for the night had died down, Tanya and Irina went to their rooms to change for dinner. Supper-time was apparently a big deal to the crusty upper-class, and one was expected to change into nicer threads for it. Bella reluctantly left Alice and went to her own guest room down the hall. When she walked into the room, she was surprised to find the clothing items Tanya had been more or less forced to part with waiting for her on top of the dresser; everything from jeans and t-shirts, to pretty summer dresses and more intimate clothing items; thankfully, _everything_ still had the store-tags attached to them.

Bella took a warm shower and changed into one of the summer dresses Tanya had bought for herself. Although Tanya was considerably taller than Bella, the sapphire blue dress fit her flatteringly. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about the footwear, as Tanya's feet were two sizes bigger than Bella's. Bella happily put her Converse back on. They'd dried enough over the course of the day.

Bella stepped into the dining room to find everyone assembled there already. She walked over to the large table and took the only empty seat between Irina and James.

"I went to check in on Alice, but she was sleeping," Jasper said, sounding disappointed. "How did she look to you before you left her this evening?" he asked.

It took Bella a few seconds to answer. She was distracted by the sight of the waiter carefully pouring Lobster Bisque into the bowl in front of her. She was not at all used to being served.

"Uh, her fever started coming back. I gave her a couple of the aspirins Edward left for her."

Jasper frowned, obviously unhappy that Alice was still feeling poorly.

"Oh poor Alice," Tanya whined. "I can't believe how sick she is!"

"And to think it was just from being out in the rain for a little while," added Irina.

"She's obviously quite the delicate flower, just like myself," Tanya said, putting a hand against her chest daintily. Her eyes turned to Bella, her lips curling into something Bella couldn't distinguish as either a smile or a sneer. "I mean, look at you. You biked all the way over here in practically monsoon weather, and you're just fine. I guess that's how it is when you're built, you know" – she lifted her shoulders and fisted her hands in front of herself, channeling Popeye – "of more _stocky _material."

Bella blinked, unsure what brought that comment on and trying to determine how to respond to it, when Edward cleared his throat.

"Actually Tanya and Irina, one does not catch a cold from being in the rain, or getting wet. Colds are caused by viruses. Alice's immune system was probably just low at the moment, and therefore she was more susceptible to catching the virus."

Tanya gazed at Edward as if he'd just explained the creation of the wheel to her. "Wow. I never knew that. That is really amazing," she purred.

"Well, I for one really hate being sick. It does nothing for your complexion. And then the embarrassing sounds emitted when you have to hack up…ugh, I can't even think about it," Irina finished with a disgusted air.

"Ugh! Quite true Irina. Quite true," Tanya agreed. They then went on to discuss some gossip they'd received from one of their friends in Seattle.

Bella listened to them in amazement. Their obvious indifference for the well-being of Alice when she was no longer immediately before them restored her former opinion of them. She finished her bisque quietly, in the knowledge that she could now enjoy all her previous dislike of them.

"How's your filet mignon, Bella?" Jasper asked, smiling kindly at her.

"It's actually really delicious Jasper, thanks," Bella responded, grateful for his periodic conversation, which helped her feel less like the intruder the others were making her feel like.

"I've asked Sally to prepare a plate for Alice, along with the soup. I'll give her some time to rest and then I'll bring it up to her later on. Do you think she'd like that?"

Bella flashed a grateful smile at Jasper. "I think she'd like that very much."

The rest of the meal was uneventful. Tanya was engrossed in conversation with Edward, Irina slightly less so. As for James, by whom Bella sat, he was a dull and lifeless man, who lived only to eat, drink and gamble. Earlier, he'd asked Bella if she preferred Johnny Walker Red or Silver Label. When she'd responded that she had no particular preference for either, he'd visibly startled and turned his attention away from her.

When dinner was over, Bella said her thank yous, and upon being told to leave her dishes on the table for they would be taken care of, she reluctantly did as she was told before excusing herself to return to Alice.

Tanya began talking smack about her as soon as she was out of the room.

"Dear Lord, she's got the worst table manners I've ever seen! Did you see her pick up the wrong fork before?"

Irina laughed that she had.

"And this morning, when she walked in, she walked right by me like she owned the place and proceeded to wring her medusa locks all over the floor! Can you believe her nerve?"

Irina tut-tutted, shaking her head.

"She had absolutely nothing interesting to say during dinner. And that dress looked simply awful on her. It was quite beautiful when I bought it, but on her, it looked like nothing more than a dirty dish rag."

"In short, there is simply nothing good to say about her, other than that she seems to be an excellent bicyclist. I'll never forget how she looked this morning," Irina chuckled. "She really looked almost like a wild forest creature, didn't she?"

"She did indeed Irina. I could barely keep myself from laughing in her face. It was very idiotic of her to come at all. Why must she be scampering all about the neighborhood just because her sister has a cold? Her hair!" Tanya laughed again, covering her mouth, "God, what a mess!"

"Yes! And her sneakers! Please tell me you saw her sneakers! I believe they were once blue, but are now brown from all the mud caked on them!"

Jasper glared at the two women. "She may have been wet and muddy when she arrived here, but I sure as heck didn't notice it. I thought she looked pretty darn good when she walked into the family room this morning. Her dirty sneakers completely escaped my notice."

Edward, who'd been staring straight ahead during the entire conversation, turned towards his friend with narrowed his eyes. He himself had just been contemplating the lovely picture Bella had made at dinner tonight. The way her sapphire blue dress complemented her creamy skin had not escaped his notice. And though he was internally grateful that Jasper had defended Bella to his cousins, his obvious admiration of her irritated him for some reason.

At that moment, Tanya directed a comment at him.

"You noticed it, didn't you Edward? Her dirty sneakers? I saw you looking down at them while she took them off. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see your sister parading herself around town looking that way."

"No, of course not," Edward replied, thinking of how fitted Bella's tank top had been earlier, in the family room. How he'd been able to see every curve of her upper body through the flimsy material. How her jeans had sat low on her hips, exposing some of her soft, flat midriff. Of course he wouldn't want his sister wearing something so…tempting. He'd have to bash a few faces in, which would probably go against his Hippocratic Oath.

"To bike ten miles, or eleven miles, or fourteen, or whatever the heck it was, up to her knees in mud, through a dark forest! What the heck was she trying to prove? To me it just shows an obnoxious sort of conceited independence, a very hillbilly indifference to propriety."

"It shows a deep love for her sister, which is very admirable," Jasper hissed.

Tanya, who'd seated herself next to Edward for dinner, leaned into him quietly and whispered, "I guess this little adventure of Bella's has probably affected your admiration of her fine eyes,"

"Not at all," Edward replied coolly. "Their natural beauty was brightened even more by the exercise."

Tanya sat straight up, but said not a word.

"I really love Alice, she's a real sweety," Irina allowed, "and I truly wish her the best. But I'm afraid with such parents and such low-class relations she'll have a really hard time leaving the proverbial trailer behind."

"Didn't you say," – asked Tanya with an evil glint in her eyes – "that their uncle is a manager at the Port Angeles McDonalds?"

"Yes. And they have another, who lives somewhere in Fremont."

"Oh, that's just too precious!" Tanya squealed, and they both laughed heartily.

"If they had uncles enough to fill all of Fremont," Jasper growled, - sometimes he really hated his cousins – "it wouldn't make them one bit less amazing."

"But you have to admit Jasper," – Edward said – "that their poor relations must greatly lessen their chances of meeting anyone of any significant social standing."

Jasper inhaled deeply, but made no reply. His cousins nonetheless, nodded their heads in emphatic agreement with Edward, and spent some more time entertaining themselves at the expense of their friend's family.

Like two hypocrites, however, Tanya and Irina returned to Alice's room upon leaving the dining room, and sat with her until one of the servants came to announce that coffee was ready. Alice was still feeling unwell, and Bella would not have left her side had Jasper not appeared, carrying a tray with soup, steak, fresh summer vegetables and one solitary red rose inside a small crystal vase. Bella removed herself with the excuse of going down for some coffee herself, and left Alice and Jasper alone.

On entering the large, formal living room, she found the rest of the party busy playing cards.

"Would you like to join us?" Tanya asked. "We're playing Texas Hold'em. The minimum bet is only three hundred dollars," she informed Bella sweetly.

Bella's eyes grew wide, but she replied calmly, "No thanks. I just came down for a short while. I'll just read a book or something."

James looked at her as if she were from another planet. "You mean you'd rather read than play cards? That's really…weird."

"Bella seems to hate playing cards," Tanya answered for her. "She's a great reader, but doesn't really enjoy anything else."

"I don't think I deserve either such accolades or such flak," Bella said, with the same sugary sweet smile Tanya had just given her. "While I do love reading, there are plenty of other things I enjoy also."

Just then, Jasper walked back into the room. Having heard the tail end of the conversation, he added, "You seem to really enjoy taking care of those you care about." He glared at Tanya. "And I'm sure she'll be better before long, thanks to you."

Bella blushed and thanked him, and then walked towards the large, mohagony bookshelf taking up the entire back wall.

"Bella, if you don't see anything you'd like to read there, I can go get you some other books from our Library," Jasper offered. "I wish I had a more interesting selection, but I'm not a very big book collector."

"Oh these will do just fine," Bella assured him, running her fingers through the rows and rows of books on the shelves.

"I'm really disappointed that my uncle would have left you such a small collection," Tanya said to Jasper with a frown. She looked up at Edward through her eyelashes. "_You_ have such a wonderful library at Pemberley Estate Edward."

"It better be good," Edward answered, keeping his eyes on his cards. "It's been the work of many generations."

"And then you've added so much to it yourself," she cried in amazement. "You're always buying books."

"In times such as these, when there is so much literature at our disposal, I can't understand the neglect of a family library."

"Neglect! I can't see where anything at Pemberley has been neglected. It's unbelievably beautiful. Jasper, when you finally build a home for yourself, I hope it's half as amazing as Pemberley."

"I hope so too," Jasper replied off-handedly.

"If I were you, I'd buy something in Ithaca, right next to Edward's gorgeous Pemberley Vineyards. And make sure you use Pemberley as a model. There isn't a finer area in all of the U.S. than Upstate New York."

"That's for sure," Jasper now agreed. "I'd buy Pemberley itself if Edward would sell it."

Tanya rolled her eyes. "Be serious Jasper. I'm talking about _real_ possibilities."

"So am I," he responded. "Trust me, it would be easier to get something like Pemberley by buying it from Edward than by trying to imitate it."

Bella had become interested in the conversation. She was fascinated by New York; had dreamt of living there since she was a little kid. She had a cousin, Emmett, her uncle Jay's son, currently enrolled in med school at Cornell. Alice would be going to FIT at the end of the summer, and, if everything went well, Bella planned on moving there next year after she finished college.

Bella soon put the book she'd started reading down, and walked towards the card table, stationing herself between Tanya and Irina to observe the game.

"Rosalie must be all grown up by now," Tanya said to Edward. "Do you think she'll be as tall as I am?" She offered him a dazzling smile; Bella noted wryly that Edward seemed to have missed it while he concentrated on his cards.

"I think she will. She is now about Bella's height," he answered, giving Bella a quick side-long glance, "or rather taller."

"Oh, I can't wait to see her again," Tanya cooed wistfully. "I've never met a young girl I liked so much! So self-composed, such good manners! And so talented for her age! I've never heard anyone play the piano as well as she does."

"I think it's just amazing how today's women can have the patience to be as talented as they all are," Jasper offered, taking a seat on the plush sofa and leaning back to intertwine his fingers behind his head.

"All today's women talented? What are you talking about Jasper?" Tanya cried.

"Yes, all of them, if you ask me. They all have different talents, music, sports, technology. I don't think I know any woman who can't do all this, and I'm sure I've never heard of a young lady being spoken about without being told that she is extremely talented."

Edward pursed his lips. "You're right that being called talented has become a mundane thing. The word is applied to many a woman who deserve it for nothing more than playing the recorder or knowing more than one yoga position. But I definitely don't agree with your opinion of today's women in general. I'm sure I've never met more than half a dozen women, in my entire life, who can really be called talented."

"Nor have I," Tanya agreed quickly.

Bella smirked. "Boy, you must really put a lot of weight on your definition of talented."

"Yes, I do," Edward agreed, avoiding Bella's eyes.

"Of course he does," cried his faithful assistant. "No one can really be called talented who doesn't surpass the everyday, mundane talents. A woman must have a deep and thorough knowledge of music, singing, dancing. She must be able to speak at least three different languages. She must paint and draw, be able to master the high beam with skill. She must be extensively well-traveled and know how to break into the most complex encrypted databases. And besides all this, she must possess a certain something else; something in the way she carries herself, the tone of her voice, the way she speaks and expresses her ideas, or the word talented will be only half-deserved."

"Yes, all that," Edward acknowledged, "and what's more, she must have something even more substantial" – his eyes flashed towards Bella almost imperceptibly – "in the desire to improve her mind through extensive reading."

Bella could not hold back the loud snort that escaped her.

"Wow. I'm no longer surprised at your knowing only six talented women. I'm really rather surprised at you knowing any at all."

Edward pursed his lips and this time, turned to face Bella. "Do you have such little faith in your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

"I never saw such a woman. I never saw such competence and taste and effort and elegance as you've described, all united in one person, male or female. And by the way, I have an enormous amount of faith in _my_ sex."

Edward swallowed thickly, but he held Bella's gaze. A long moment passed during which both refused to look away. At length, Tanya exclaimed,

"Well, Irina and I both agree with Edward. Being from a more…varied environment, we've had the pleasure of meeting many women who answer to this description."

Bella turned to Tanya to tell her where she could stick her varied environment when James, frustrated at everyone's inability to keep their minds on the cards before them, yelled out,

"Enough with this crap! Can you all just pay attention to your cards and forget about stupid women and their stupid talents?"

The outburst ended all conversation, and after a few steaming moments, Bella excused herself and left the room.

"Bella Swan," said Tanya through clenched teeth, "is one of those women who try to make themselves attractive to men by undervaluing all other women; and with many men, I'm sure that little trick works. But in my opinion, it's a cheap trick and a very deceitful ploy."

"Yes, it is," replied Edward, to whom this remark was mainly meant for. "There is deceit and cheapness in all the ploys which _some_ women use to try to catch a man's attention. Whatever bears any resemblance to shrewdness is despicable to me."

Tanya wasn't so entirely satisfied with this response to continue the subject.

Bella joined them again only to say that Alice felt worse, and that she couldn't leave her.

"Maybe Edward should check on her again?" Jasper offered, truly concerned for Alice.

Bella, who'd had enough of Edward's company for the night, and who was sure Alice just needed some more rest, exclaimed, "I think she's just going to try to get some more sleep tonight. If she's still feeling as poorly in the morning, I'll let you know." She directed this at Jasper, not Edward.

Jasper agreed reluctantly, for while he was thrilled to have Alice under his roof, he absolutely hated seeing her so sick.

As she climbed the long, winding staircase back up to Alice's room, Bella heard Tanya and Irina talking.

"Oh I do feel horrible for Alice," Irina claimed.

"Yes, so do I. Hey, let's go break into Jasper's wine cellar and get a little tipsy!"

"Sounds good to me!"

Bella rolled her eyes and continued her climb, feeling tenderness only for Jasper, whom she heard giving his housekeeper instructions that every attention should be paid to the sick young lady and her sister.

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**A/N: Hey, I never said Darcyward would be easy to love.**

**And who loves Jasper/Bingley? **

**Hey, if you guys are reading and enjoying this, let me know. Reviews are even better than Bella (almost) telling Tanya where to stick it. **


	9. A&A Chapter 9

**A/N: It's been a while. Let's get back to our love story, shall we?**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major story and plot line belong to J. Austen.**

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_"I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love," said Darcy._

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"Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away."

**– Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 9.**

**A&A Chapter 9**

Bella spent most of the night in Alice's room, and was happy to be able to report to Jasper the next morning that Alice did indeed appear to be getting better. Nevertheless, she called Renee and asked her to come over, so she could judge for herself what sort of condition Alice was in and decide what would be the best action.

Renee, eager to pay a visit to Netherfield Estate – she'd heard so much talk about it – complied quickly and reached the estate soon after breakfast, with both Lauren and Jessica in tow.

If Renee had found Alice in any real danger, she would've honestly been very upset. But she was perfectly satisfied upon seeing her that Alice would indeed recover nicely, and was therefore less than eager for the recovery to take place quickly, since her recovery would probably end her stay at Netherfield. She refused to listen, therefore, to Alice's pleas to come home and finish recovering there, and Edward quickly agreed that she should probably just stay put for the next forty-eight hours or so.

After sitting with Alice in her guest-room for a while, Renee and the rest of the Swan girls all joined the rest of the group, in the formal living room, at Tanya's request. Jasper had been standing by the large windows, staring at the storm which was still battering around outside. He turned quickly when the women walked in.

"I hope you didn't find Alice worse than you expected," he exclaimed anxiously, moving towards Renee.

"I sure did," Renee answered with a convincing frown of concern. "She's still too weak to move. Even your friend Edward agrees," she claimed, looking at Edward for his agreement. Edward, who'd taken a seat at the far end of the room, nodded slightly but kept his face blank.

"I'm afraid we'll have to take advantage of your hospitality a little longer," Renee confirmed, in an apologetic tone.

"Moving her," cried Jasper, "is not even an option. "I'm sure my cousins Tanya and Irina will agree with me that moving Alice is absolutely out of the question."

"I assure you, Mrs. Swan," Tanya replied coolly, that Alice will be well taken care of while she's with us."

"Why thank you all so much," Renee gushed. "You've all been so good to Alice, and to Bella also." – Bella smiled tightly, but otherwise remained expressionless as her mother continued – "I don't know what she would've done without such good friends as you all! The truth is, she really feels like hell, but she bears it all so well. But that's usually how it is with Alice. She's got the sweetest disposition of any girl I've ever met. I tell the rest of these all the time," she exclaimed, waving a dismissive hand towards Bella and her cousins, "that they could stand to be more like Alice. You've got one heck of a house here Jasper, and your landscape is simply amazing! I don't know another house in all of Forks that's equal to Netherfield. I hope you don't plan on leaving too soon, even though you've only leased it for the summer." Renee finally stopped talking, breathing in deeply to collect some air.

"Whatever I do, I do in a hurry," replied Jasper with an amused smile. "Therefore whenever I do decide to leave Netherfield, I'll probably be off in five minutes. Right now though, I'm perfectly happy where I am."

"That's exactly what I would've thought of you," Bella said, smiling at Jasper.

"Oh, so you're starting to understand me then, are you?" Jasper teased, turning towards Bella.

She laughed. "I think I understand you perfectly."

"I wish I could take that as a compliment. But to be so easy to read is sort of sad." He pretended to look embarrassed.

"Don't feel bad. Compared to guys who should come with an instruction manual, I think you're pretty cool," she teased him back.

"Bella, stop flirting like a little hoochy," Renee reprimanded, causing Bella – who'd only been acting like her normal, teasing self – to turn beet red.

"I wasn't aware," Jasper cut in quickly, embarrassed for Bella, "that you liked to study people's characters. That must be fun."

"Yes," responded Bella, who refused to let her mother's remark get to her, "but complicated characters are the most amusing. They at least have that advantage."

"I'm sure Forks," said Edward, "can only supply you with a few subjects for that kind of study. In such a small town, you're bound to always meet up with the same sorts of people."

Bella gave Edward a challenging look. "But people tend to change so much that there's always something new going on with them."

Renee was a bit less reserved than her daughter in her response. She'd been truly offended by his dismissive attitude towards Forks. She glared at Edward as she said, "Yes, indeed. Forks may be a small town, but we do have our fair share of complicated and shady characters. Why just the other day, my husband was telling me of a summons he had to give out to two kids out in the woods for public indecency. See? Forks can be just as exciting as Seattle!"

Everyone was shocked at Renee's outburst, and Edward, after staring at her for a few moments, turned silently away. Renee smiled smugly, thinking she'd won some sort of victory over him.

"I don't see where Seattle has any sort of advantage over Forks, except for maybe the shops and theaters. Forks is much more pleasant though, wouldn't you agree Jasper?"

"When I'm in Forks, I never want to leave it. And when I'm in Seattle, I feel pretty much the same. They each have their advantages, and I can be perfectly happy in either."

"Well," huffed Renee, "that's just because you're such an easygoing, pleasant sort of fella." She turned her eyes to Edward, giving him a smirk. "But that guy over there seems to think Forks is nothing more than a Podunk, one-horse, backwards town with nothing but simple-minded idiots."

"No, mom. You're wrong," Bella insisted, burning hot with embarrassment. "I think you misunderstood Edward. He only meant that there isn't such a large variety here in Forks as there would be in a city such as Seattle – which you must admit is true."

"Sure, it's true. I'm not freakin' blind! But that doesn't mean we don't have a large variety of friends. Why, just the other day I had to go pick up a refill for my Rolodex!"

Only a true desire to keep Bella from dying from shame kept Jasper from laughing out loud. Tanya however, had no such concerns about Bella's well-being, and directed her eyes towards Edward with a mocking smile. Bella quickly tried to think of something to change the subject.

"Mom, has Leah called since I've been here?"

"Actually, she stopped by yesterday with Seth. What a sweet young man that Seth is, don't you agree? Always polite, always a nice thing to say about everybody. _That_ is my idea of good manners. And those young men who think they're so important, and too high and mighty to talk to anyone, well, they've got another thing coming to them."

"Did they stay for dinner?" Bella asked quickly.

"No, they went home. Something about Leah wanting to get dinner ready for her mother. I, for one, don't understand why they can't just order out like the rest of America. All this nonsense about home cooked meals and family time. I tell my girls all the time to leave the menial work like cooking and cleaning for those who have nothing better to do. Lauren and Jessica, at least, know the value of keeping one's manicure intact. But the other two, especially Bella, you'd think she has a Cinderella complex or something. Always making sure the furniture's dusted, and forever preparing new dishes for her father to try. She spoils him. But anyway, the Clearwaters are good people. Too bad that Leah's always in such a snarky mood.

"She seems really nice," Jasper hedged.

"Oh, she's alright I guess. But you've got to admit she's nothing compared to Alice. Why, her own mother's told me so on more than one occasion. I don't like to brag, but you can't deny that Alice – well, it's not very often you meet someone as beautiful. Everybody says so; it's not just my opinion. Why when she first started college back in Seattle, there was a young man working for my brother Jay who was so crazy about her I was sure he'd steal her away. Would've been one less college tuition bill to worry about," she chuckled. "But, he didn't," she continued, sounding disappointed. "He did however write her some pretty poems, whatever that's worth nowadays." She shrugged. "They rhymed nicely at least."

"And that was that," said Bella quickly. "It's not the first time bad poetry ends a relationship. I wonder who first thought of the value of poetry in driving away love."

"I always thought poetry was the food of love," said Edward.

"Of a good, healthy love, it might be. Everything nourishes what's already strong. But if it's merely some passing fancy, I'm sure one bad verse will kill it dead."

Edward just smiled, and the pause in conversation that followed made Bella nervous that her mother would find a chance to say something stupid again. She wanted to speak but couldn't think of a thing to say. And after a short silence Renee repeated her thanks to Jasper for his kindness and hospitality, and apologized again for burdening him with Bella also. Jasper's graciousness shone through in his response, and he gave Tanya a warning look, requiring her to be civil also. And although she was, she completely lacked Jasper's graciousness. Renee, being Renee, completely missed this though, and soon was ready to leave.

Once Lauren and Jessica saw that their aunt was ready to leave, Jessica walked over to Jasper with a bold determination.

"Jasper, Lauren and I were just remembering that when you first came to Forks, you promised to have a party here at Netherfield. It'd be awfully rude for you not to keep that promise," she giggled.

Jasper smiled easily. "Oh I wouldn't think of breaking my promise. I'd be perfectly happy to throw a party here, and when Alice is all better, you can name the date yourself. But I'm sure you wouldn't want to be dancing while Alice is upstairs sick, would you?"

"Of course we'll wait until Alice is better," said Jessica with feigned concern for her cousin. "It'll give us time to spread the word around the Port Angeles Campus!" she finished excitedly.

Bella groaned and lowered her head into her hand. And soon Renee and her nieces left, and Bella quickly excused herself and went back to Alice's room, leaving her behavior as well as that of her family to the remarks of the two ladies and Edward; but unfortunately for Tanya, the latter couldn't be convinced to join in ridiculing Bella, despite all of Tanya's smack talk about beautiful brown eyes.

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**Write me a pretty review and try to make it rhyme. Thanks**!


	10. Arrogance & Animosity Ch 10

**A/N: One of my favorite chapters in P&P. Enjoy!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot and story line belong to J. Austen. **

…_Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger__**.**_** – Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 10****.**

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****A&A Chapter 10**

The day passed much as the day before had. Tanya and Irina had spent some time in the morning with Alice, who slowly but surely continued to get better. And that evening, while the storm outside continued to pound the Olympic region, Bella joined the rest of the group in the family room. The poker table, however, did not make an appearance. Edward was typing away on his laptop, and Tanya, seated next to him, was watching his progress and distracting him by calling off constant messages for his sister. James and Jasper were playing Halo, and Irina was watching them.

Bella took up a book and was repeatedly amused as she listened to what passed between Edward and Tanya. Her constant praises on his focus, on how quickly he typed without looking at the keyboard, or on the length of his email, combined with the perfect indifference with which her praises were received, made for an interesting dialogue, and went hand in hand with Bella's opinion of each.

"Rosalie will be so thrilled to get your email!"

Edward made no answer.

"You type so quickly."

"You're wrong. I type pretty slowly."

"You must send out countless emails over the course of a day! And now you'll have to deal with emails from patients seeking medical advice too? Ugh! I can't imagine what a pain in the ass those'll be!"

"It's a good thing then, that it'll be my job to answer them, and not yours."

"Make sure you tell Rosalie that I can't wait to see her again."

"I've already told her once, at your request."

"Are your fingers getting tired? I can finish typing for you. Here, let me finish for you. You just dictate-"

"Thanks, but I'd really prefer to type out my own email."

"How in the world do you type so quickly?"

He was silent.

"Tell Rosalie I'm delighted to hear of her acceptance to Juilliard. Oh, and tell her that I'm crazy about the painting of the vineyards she sent. It truly rivals Monet's work."

"Would you mind if I left off word of how crazy you are for my next email? Right now I'd have no room to do it justice."

"Sure, that's fine. I'll be seeing her soon anyway. But do you always write such charmingly long letters to her Edward?"

"They are usually long. Whether they're charming or not isn't for me to determine."

"Well I think that a person who can write such a long letter so easily can't possibly write poorly."

"Tanya, that won't do as a compliment for Edward," cried Jasper with mock seriousness, "because he doesn't write easily. He has to think long and hard to come up with words with four syllables. Don't you Edward?" he ribbed.

"My style of writing is very different from yours."

"Oh," cried Tanya indignantly, "Don't mind Jasper. I don't know what _he's_ talking about. He leaves out half his words and misspells all the rest."

"That's because my ideas flow so quickly that I barely have time to write them down. Unfortunately, this usually results in my writing useless garble."

"Jasper, you are modest to a fault," said Bella, putting aside her book.

Edward glared between Bella and his supposed best friend, feeling abruptly annoyed.

"Actually, nothing is more deceitful than a person trying to act modest. It usually just means you don't care what others think of you, and sometimes," he narrowed his eyes at Jasper, "is just another way of showing off."

"And which of the two would you call my recent piece of modesty?" Jasper bantered, with an amused smile.

Edward smirked. "Showing off, of course. The truth is you're really proud of your defects in writing, because they show what a quick thinker you are, and how unassuming you are about it, which if not an actual strength in itself, you think at least adds depth to your character. Speed is always a trait prized by its possessor, often ignoring the sloppiness it results in. For example, when you told Bella's mom this morning that if you decided to leave Netherfield you'd be gone in five minutes, you were showing off. What's so great about a last minute decision that would probably leave behind a bunch of unfinished business and would result in no advantage to you or anyone else?"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on," Jasper chortled, waving a hand and putting down the controller. "You don't really expect me to remember at this time of night all the stupid things I may have said this morning, do you? Although I will maintain that if I said it, I must have meant it, and would still believe it to be true now. You're not trying to imply that I pretended to be quick-thinking and quick-acting just to impress the ladies, are you?" He turned to Bella and gave her a playful wink. Bella snickered.

Edward's irritation with his friend suddenly grew exponentially. His nostrils slightly flared when he responded, "I'll concede that you believed what you said, but I'm by no means convinced that you'd really act so quickly. Your actions would depend on the circumstances as much as those of the next man's. And if while you were getting in your car to leave a friend would say to you, 'Hey Jasper, why don't you stay another week?' you'd probably do it, and at the slightest suggestion, you'd probably stay a whole extra month."

"All you've proven by this," cried Bella, "is that Jasper under-rated his own character. You've just shown him off much more than he did."

Edward felt his muscles contract and his jaw tightening.

"Thanks Bella!" Jasper responded, giving Edward a wry smile, "For turning Edward's disclosure of my flaws into a compliment. But I'm sure that's not how he intended it, because I'd bet he'd think more of me under those circumstances he mentioned if I were to give a flat denial and ride off as fast as I could."

Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward, a small smile on her lips. "Would Edward then forgive the rashness of your original decision if you were determined to stick to that decision?"

"I have no idea," Jasper responded, shrugging his shoulders. "You'd have to ask him yourself."

Edward glared at his friend. "How do you expect me to account for opinions which you've called mine, but which I've never acknowledged?" He turned back to Bella.

She continued smiling, but there was definitely mischief in her eyes. Closing his laptop, email completely forgotten, he met the mischief in her eyes with a challenge of his own.

"Fine. I'll play this game," he smiled tightly. "Let's stick to the original situation. And if we do, you must remember, Bella," he said intently, "that the friend who's asked Jasper to stay and alter his original plans hasn't given one good reason for his request."

Bella arched an eyebrow. "What you're saying then, is that to yield so readily, so easily to the wishes of a friend holds no credit with you?"

Edward arched his own eyebrow. "To give in to something or someone, without a good reason, says nothing good about either person in this scenario."

"It seems to me Edward, that you give no allowance for the influence of friendship or affection. Simply caring about the requestor would often be enough to yield to a request, without waiting for a specific reason. Now I'm not talking about any specific case in regards to Jasper. Maybe we should wait until a real situation arises to judge him on his decisions. But in general cases arising between friends, where one of them asks the other to change some plans of little importance, would you think less of that person for complying without waiting for a good reason?"

"Before we continue, don't you think it would be a good idea to determine how important the requestor feels his request is, as well as the degree of friendship between the two parties?"

"Definitely," cried Jasper, throwing himself back on the sofa. "Let's work out all the details," he said, rubbing his hands together. "And make sure we don't leave out the comparative height and weight of each, because that'll have more bearing on the decision than you realize Bella. Trust me, if Edward weren't in such good shape physically, I wouldn't give in to him half as much as I do." He snorted, grinning bemusedly. "I for one don't know of a more ill-tempered person than Edward on certain occasions and in certain places, especially in his own house on Sunday evenings, when he can find nothing to entertain himself with."

Edward smiled, but Bella thought he looked rather offended, and therefore held off on her laughter.

"Jasper, stop bothering Edward! And stop talking such bullcrap!" Tanya cried indignantly, pouting her collagen-enhanced lips.

"That's alright Tanya," Edward said quickly, putting up a hand to stop Tanya's defense of him. He smiled crookedly. "I see what you're trying to do Jasper. You don't like debates, so you're trying to turn it into a joke."

"Maybe you're right," Jasper conceded. "Debates are too much like arguments. If you and Bella want to continue, at least wait until I'm out of the room, and then you can say whatever you want about me."

"No. It's probably time we dropped it. Edward would be better off finishing his email anyway."

The two stared at each other for a few more seconds, and then Edward took her advice and went back to his laptop to finish his email.

After a short while, Jasper once again turned from his game and said, "Bella, I heard mentioned that you played the piano?"

Bella put her book down again. "Not very well. I mean, it's not like it's a talent of mine or anything," she smiled, shooting Edward a loaded look.

"I'm sure you're very good," said Jasper. "Why don't you play a song or two for us?" he asked, jerking his head towards the baby grand that stood majestically against the far side of the room.

"Ooh, I just finished another composition on the piano!" Tanya interrupted before Bella could respond. "Let me play it for you guys!" she cried while getting up quickly and moving to seat herself at the baby grand. At everyone's shocked expression she added, "After Bella regales us with her lovely chopsticks, of course."

"No. Tanya, please. You go ahead. I insist," Bella smiled.

Tanya needed no more encouragement. And while Irina joined her sister and hummed - rather loudly and off-tune - to the complicated composition, Bella looked through some music sheets that lay on the bookshelf nearby. She couldn't fight the feeling however, that a pair of eyes were on her, and when she looked up subtly was surprised to see that it was Edward that constantly kept turning his emerald green eyes her way. She had no idea why he kept looking at her, as it would be strange for him to keep glancing her way because he disliked her. She could only imagine then, that he kept looking at her because he found her so much more disturbing and reprehensible, according to his ideas on what was right, than anyone else in the room. The idea didn't bother her though. She liked him too little to care what he thought of her one way or the other.

After playing some stiff and pretentious songs, Tanya surprised Bella by turning to some more modern and lively pieces, and soon Edward drew nearer to Bella, and leaning down whispered close to her ear,

"Don't you feel like dancing right now Bella?"

She smiled but didn't answer. Edward was surprised by her silence, and leaned into her closer, bringing his lips nearer. Bella shivered at his proximity. But she quickly assumed it was due to the surprise of his nearness.

"Would you like to dance Bella?" he repeated in a low, husky voice.

"Oh," she answered quickly this time, "I heard you the first time. I was just trying to decide how to answer. I know you wanted me to say 'Sure, great!' so that you could have the pleasure of criticizing my taste in music, but I take great pleasure in foiling those sorts of plans and robbing people of their premeditated insults. So I've decided to tell you that no, I don't feel like dancing, and now you can go ahead and hate me all you dare."

"I would never dare hate you, Bella." His eyes bore into hers, and for a split-second she thought she saw something flicker in them, before he turned and went back to his seat. Bella shook her head quickly, trying to clear it. Edward had startled her; she'd expected to provoke him with her words, and was surprised by his show of chivalry. But there was a mix of sweetness and impishness in her manner that made it impossible for Edward to feel insulted by her; and he had never been as bewitched by any woman in his life as he was by her. He felt sure, as he sat in his chair and his eyes instinctively traveled back up to Bella, that if it were not for their differences in class and social standing, he'd be in some serious danger.

Tanya saw, or suspected enough to be jealous; and her great anxiety for the recovery of her friend Alice was greatly helped along by her desire to get rid of Bella.

She often tried to provoke Edward into saying something negative about Bella, by talking of their supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in the union.

"I hope," she began, as she tagged along on his morning jog the next day – the storm had finally relented enough to allow for one – "that you'll give your mother-in-law a few hints, when the happy nuptials finally take place, about the advantages of holding one's tongue; and if you can swing it, do something about your little cousin-in-laws' habits of chasing after every man with an appendage between his legs. Oh, and if I may be so bold as to mention so delicate a subject, you may want to take care of that little something bordering on conceit and nerve that your little wifey possesses."

"Do you have any other suggestions to ensure my matrimonial bliss?"

"Oh, yes! One more thing! Make sure you hang a nice big picture of Uncle Phil the restaurateur in front of his glitzy McDonald's franchise, on its own wall in Pemberley. As a matter of fact, no, why don't you hang it right next to the picture of your godmother the senator? After all they're both pioneers in their field. As for Bella's picture, you must not have it taken, for what painter could ever do justice to those beautiful eyes?"

Edward nodded, as if pondering the question. "It wouldn't be easy to capture their expression, I'll give you that, but their color and shape, the length and curve of her eyelashes, so absolutely perfect, might be copied."

At that moment, they were met jogging off another trail by Irina and Bella herself.

"I didn't know you'd come out for a jog," stuttered Tanya, afraid that they'd been overheard.

"You completely snubbed us," answered Irina, "coming out for a jog without telling us about it." She then walked over to Edward's other side, leaving Bella standing by herself opposite them.

Edward bristled at their rudeness and immediately said, "The trail isn't wide enough for all four of us; we should head back."

But Bella, who had absolutely no desire to stay with them, laughed and answered,

"No, no. Please! Continue on your jog. The three of you look wonderful together, sporting such nice and pristine running outfits. I'd just ruin the look in my ratty tank top and holey jeans. See ya!" she called out, and continued her run in the opposite direction.

She laughed to herself once she was out of their hearing range, excited that the weather had finally let up and she would hopefully be home that day or the next. Alice had been feeling much better that morning, so much so that she was planning on joining them for a while that evening.

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**Reviews feel almost as good as Edward leaning in to whisper softly in my ear…**


	11. Arrogance & Animosity Ch 11

**A/N: All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen.**

**A&A Chapter 11**

_"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil - a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome."_

_"And your defect is to hate everybody."_

_"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them." _**- Ms. Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 11.**

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After dinner that night, Bella ran up to see Alice, and seeing that she looked better, helped her down into the family room, where Irina and Tanya greeted her pleasantly. Bella had never before seen both women as agreeable as they were during the hour that passed before the guys appeared in the room, and she had to hand it to them; they were great conversationalists. They could describe a situation in great detail, tell a story with humor, and laugh along with Alice easily.

But when the guys arrived, Alice was quickly cast aside. Tanya's eyes instantly turned towards Edward, and she had something to say to him before he'd even crossed the threshold into the room.

"Alice, I'm glad to see you're feeling better," Edward said politely. James also acknowledged that he was happy to see Alice looking so much better, but deeper expressions of happiness and warmth were reserved for Jasper.

"Alice," he exclaimed, coming to sit next to her on the large sofa, "you look…radiant," he sighed helplessly.

"Thanks Jazz," Alice replied sweetly, flashing him a wide grin.

"Are you cold? Should I turn up the fire?" he asked, the concern deeply etched in his tone.

"No, I'm fine," Alice assured him, but Jasper wasn't so easily convinced.

"I think I'll turn up the fire," he said, "just in case." And quickly he got up and went to add some wood to the fireplace. Satisfied that the fire was burning hotter, he turned back to Alice, and reaching for her hand, pulled her up gently.

"Come," he asked with a sheepish smile, "let's go sit by the fire, where it's warmer."

Alice agreed with a smile, and he led her quietly to the other side of the room, next to the fireplace, and sat down with her on the small loveseat. Their conversation grew hushed and whispered, and Bella stole a few delighted glances at them from across the room.

After a short while, James grew tired of the pool table, and turned to Tanya, suggesting they pull out the poker table – a request which she quickly turned down, as she'd received privileged information that Edward had no intentions of playing poker that night.

"Come on guys, how 'bout a game of Strip Texas Hold'em?" James suggested enthusiastically to the group, to which he received only angry stares and crickets chirping in the distance. Having nothing else to do, James grabbed a bottle of Johnnie Walker and sulked quietly in a corner by himself before passing out.

Edward took up a book to distract himself from the picture Bella made - sitting off by herself on one of the plush lounging chairs, wearing a cream colored linen skirt with a soft white linen tank top, her bare feet curled under her legs carelessly, her dark hair fell in loose waves at her side and a soft smile played on her lips as she occasionally looked up from the book she was reading to watch her sister. It was obvious to anyone willing to pay attention how much she cared for Alice. Upon seeing Edward pick up a book, Tanya quickly did the same, and Irina busied herself by playing with her rings and bracelets and occasionally butting into Alice and Jasper's conversation.

Tanya's attention, however, was as much on Edward's book as her own.

"How's your book Edward? Are you enjoying it?" Tanya asked.

"I'm trying to," Edward answered dryly.

"I've heard lots of good things about it," Tanya returned. "Ooh, and I heard the movie kicks ass! The vampire guy's supposed to be hot!"

Edward didn't answer.

"What page are you on? Have you gotten really far into it?"

"No," Edward sighed, "Can't say that I have."

Tanya was dissatisfied with the way the conversation was going. Edward would barely answer her questions, and then read on. After a short while, she gave up any attempt at trying to actually read her own book – she'd only chosen it because it was the second book to the series Edward was reading – and after yawning loudly said,

"I can't think of a better way to pass an evening. There is nothing I enjoy more than reading. You simply never get tired of it! When I have my own house, it better have a huge library!"

No one answered. She yawned again, threw aside her book and looked around the room for some way to amuse herself. When hearing her cousin mention something about a party to Alice, she quickly turned to him.

"Hold on Jasper. Are you seriously thinking of having a party here at Netherfield? Piece of advice, before you decide anything, maybe you should consult the wishes of the rest of the people living here? If I'm not mistaken there are some of us present for who a party would be more punishment than pleasure."

"If you mean Edward," Jasper responded with a lopsided grin, "he can go to bed before it starts if he wants. But we _will_ be having a party. And as soon as I can get my hands on a good DJ, I'll start sending out word."

"I'd like parties a lot more," Tanya scowled, "if they were carried on differently. But it's always the same thing; music and dancing, dancing and music. They would be so much more respectable if conversation was the main enjoyment rather than dancing."

"Maybe they would be more respectable, but then they wouldn't be much like parties, would they?" Jasper answered in amusement.

Tanya didn't reply, and growing bored again, stood up and started walking aimlessly around the room. She circled the sofa Edward sat in, swaying her hips from side to side, and although she had an attractive figure, Edward's attention remained steadfastly on his book. Desperate to capture his attention, Tanya turned to a last resort.

"Bella, why don't you walk around the room with me? You've been sitting there reading that book for hours now, why don't you stretch your legs a bit?"

Bella was surprised, but with a shrug of her shoulders, stood up to join Tanya. The result was immediate; Edward looked up instantly. He was as curious about Tanya's sudden attention to Bella as Bella herself was, and unconsciously closed his book.

With a knowing grin, Tanya said, "Edward why don't you join us?"

Throwing his arms across the back of the sofa, Edward replied, "No thanks. There are only two reasons why the both of you would be walking around the room like that, and my joining you would interfere with both." He smiled coyly at Bella.

Tanya giggled as if the smile had been directed at her. "Do you have any idea what he means by that?" she whispered loudly to Bella.

"Not at all," Bella answered, "but trust me, he's trying to bait us. The best way to disappoint him is to ignore it."

But Tanya was as incapable of purposely disappointing Edward as she was of ignoring him.

"Care to explain what you mean Edward?" Tanya asked him with a flirtatious smile.

"'Course not," Edward agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. "You've either chosen to walk around the room together because you've got secrets to discuss with each other, or," – his eyes trailed over Bella – "because you're aware of how good you look walking around. If it's the first, I'll be in the way, and if it's the second, well, I can admire you much better from where I am."

Bella glared at him quizzically, his words causing a stir in the pit of her stomach despite herself. There was a teasing tone to his words, but his eyes were focused on her too intently.

"Edward!" Tanya scolded in feigned indignation, but it was clear that his words had delighted her no end. "That was really cheeky!" She grabbed a hold of Bella's arm and pulled her closer, whispering loudly at her while keeping her eyes on Edward, "How should we get back at him for that?"

Bella studied Edward, trying to figure out what was behind his amused grin. "Oh, it's gotta be something good," Bella answered, her eyes locked with Edwards. "Look at him. He's laughing at us. Turn the tables. Let's tease and laugh at him now. You know him so well, I' m sure you must know the best way to laugh at him."

"Oh, but I don't," Tanya answered, keeping her own eyes on Edward. "While I do know him very well, I've got to tell you, my knowledge of him doesn't run that deep. Tease someone so calm and in control? Impossible! I'm sorry, but I think he's got us there. And as for laughing at him, I, for one, don't want to make a fool of myself by laughing without a subject. No, I think Edward can rest easy on those counts."

Bella arched an eyebrow. "So Edward Cullen is not to be laughed at," she mused. "Boy, that's an uncommon advantage. And I hope it remains uncommon, because I personally love a good laugh and I'd definitely be disappointed to meet more people with such superiority."

With a smirk, Edward answered, "Tanya has given me more credit than I deserve."

'_What else is new?'_ Bella thought wryly.

"The wisest and best of men," Edward continued, "or should I say, the wisest and best of their actions can be rendered a joke by someone whose main goal in life is a good laugh."

Bella narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure there are people like that," she answered, "but I hope I'm not one of them. I hope I never poke fun at what is truly wise and good. But absurdities and nonsense, caprice and inconsistencies do amuse me immensely , and I'll admit," she chuckled, "I laugh at them whenever I can." She smiled at him tauntingly. "But I suppose these are exactly the sort of things your wonderful character lacks."

"I don't think that's possible for anyone. But all my life I've strived to avoid those weaknesses which are often found amusing."

"Such as arrogance and pride."

"Yes, arrogance is a weakness. But pride – where there is truly something to be proud of – pride will always be kept in check."

Bella turned away and rolled her eyes.

"You're done with your dissection of Edward's character, I assume," Tanya said sharply. "What's your verdict?"

Bella raised her chin up and said, "I'm completely convinced now that Edward is absolutely perfect. He said so himself without a shadow of a doubt."

Edward leaned forward, his green eyes burning. "I said no such thing. I have plenty of faults, but they're not, I hope, of understanding. I don't even want to talk about my temper – it's too inflexible, I think, at least according to those who know me. I can't forgive or forget the stupidities and offenses of others as quickly as I should. I'm not as easily moved by my feelings as others are. I can be resentful. My respect, once lost, is lost forever."

"That is definitely a serious fault!" Bella agreed. "Inflexible bitterness is truly a dark spot on your otherwise commendable character. But you've chosen your fault well. I really can't laugh at it. You're safe from me."

"In every character there's a tendency to gravitate towards some fault – a natural defect which not even the best education can overcome."

The words rolled off of Bella's tongue before she could stop them. "And your defect is to hate everybody."

Edward's eyes widened and his head jerked back, but he recovered quickly and answered calmly, with a gentle smile. "And yours, Ms. Swan, is to purposely misunderstand them."

They held each other's gaze, both refusing to look away.

"I think it's time for some music," Tanya suddenly cried out, moving to the stereo and blasting it so loudly that it broke whatever moment had just passed between Bella and Edward. Tanya looked from one to the other, not at all satisfied with how the evening had progressed.

And Edward…after a few moments of contemplation, Edward realized he was not sorry for the interruption. He began to feel the great danger of paying Isabella Swan too much attention.

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**Reviews please and thank you! Let me know who you think will be making an appearance as Mr. Collins**.


	12. Arrogance & Animosity Ch 12

**A/N: For those of you who've seen the Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden version of P&P, you'll notice I've sort of added and modified a scene from the movie to this chapter because I loved the scene and it added an extra E & B interaction, which we all love!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer, and major plot line belongs to J. Austen.**

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**A&A Chapter 12 **

_To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence - Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked…_ - **Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 12 **

The next day, Alice and Bella both agreed that it was time to call Renee and have her come pick them up. But Renee, who'd been expecting the girls to remain at Netherfield at least a couple of more days, refused to come get them. Her answer was therefore not a positive one, at least not to Bella's ears, since she was extremely anxious to get home. Renee ignored her daughters' pleas, and instead informed them that she could very well do without them for a couple of days more, and went as far as to suggest that should Jasper ask them to stay for the rest of the summer, they should certainly agree to. Bella though, was totally against staying any longer, and greatly doubted that they'd be asked anyway. She hadn't missed Tanya and Irina's dirty looks and hushed whispers behind her back. And as much as she disliked them, the fact was that they were Jasper's cousins and Bella was the guest. The last thing she wanted was to overstay her welcome.

Therefore, she spoke to Alice that morning and convinced her to ask Jasper to take them home.

"Alice I won't keep you and Bella here against your will," Jasper responded to Alice's request over breakfast. "But I do think you should consider staying one more day, at least. You've only just recovered." The way he looked at her, his expression anxious and concerned, cracked Alice's resolve.

"Yes, Alice," Tanya agreed. "You must stay until tomorrow morning!" She then looked around the table and to her great dismay found Edward gazing not-quite-covertly at the other house-guest, immediately making her wish she could take back the words she'd just spoken, for her dislike and jealousy of one sister far outweighed her affection for the other.

But Jasper wasn't as happy at the news of the sisters' departure from Netherfield.

"Are you sure you feel well enough to leave?" he asked Alice one more time. "Maybe you should stay through the weekend at least?"

Alice smiled gratefully at him, but as much as she wanted to stay, she also knew that if she gave in to his pleas, Bella would strangle her when they were alone. "Thanks Jazz, but really, I'm fine. And my mom really wants us home." Her voice cracked slightly from the lie.

To Edward, Alice and Bella's imminent departure was welcome news. Even now, as they sat around the breakfast table discussing the sisters' leaving, he found he couldn't take his eyes off of Bella. The way she cut her pancakes into perfectly square, even-sized pieces, chewing each piece at least five times before swallowing; the way she took a sip of her orange juice after every third bite, the way a few wisps of hair had escaped her loose pony tail, falling in her face and taunting him, making him wish he could just reach over and tuck them behind her dainty ear. No, she'd been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him much more than he liked. He found himself entirely too attuned to every move she made. And Tanya, even now he could feel Tanya's eyes traveling between him and Bella, burning an envious hole into Bella's delicately pale face. Over the past forty-eight hours, Tanya had become increasingly nasty to Bella, and even more unpleasantly teasing to himself than usual. He therefore resolved, as he indulged in what he'd decided was his last open admiration of the girl, to ignore Bella for the remainder of her stay at Netherfield. He would make sure he did nothing to lead her into hoping she'd had any effect on him or his emotions, fully aware that if he'd somehow raised her expectations in catching his attention, his behavior in the next twenty-four hours would either confirm her hopes, or crush them.

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away, he turned his attention to his own pancakes, absently swirling and twisting the uniform size pieces into the thick brown syrup on his plate, unable to build up any sort of appetite.

"Edward, is there something wrong with your pancakes?" Tanya asked, a snide smile on her face. "Do you find them hard and bland this morning?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't seem to have an appetite this morning," he answered indifferently.

"Oh really?" Tanya said. "Well that's such a shame, because our little Bella herself prepared these pancakes from scratch this morning. Didn't you Bella?" Bella simply smiled in response. "I myself find them to be a bit on the dry side, but…it was definitely cute of her to try."

Edward stiffened, suddenly taking a closer look at the pancakes before him and wanting desperately to dig into them. But reminding himself of his new resolve, he knew this would send the wrong message.

"So are you going to try them Edward?" Tanya asked offhandedly.

Edward looked up at Bella. She was watching him with a bemused smile, her eyes teasing him, daring him one way or the other. He could easily put a square of the pancakes in his mouth, savor it and tell her how delicious it was, because somehow he knew it would be. Or he could…

Edward scraped his chair across the floor, the sound reverberating around the large, formal dining room, and ringing loudly in his ears. He stood up quickly, wiping his mouth with his cloth napkin and throwing it on the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not hungry," he exclaimed, before marching out of the room.

Later that evening, Edward lay hidden in the small library, counting the hours and minutes until the morning, when Alice and Bella would be gone and not letting himself think about whether or not he wanted the hours to pass. He attempted to read his book diligently, almost succeeding in losing himself in the imaginary world of wizards and warlocks when the door to the library suddenly opened, and a distracted Bella walked in, not noticing his presence at first.

"…wasn't for Alice, I'd freakin' bike it home right now," she mumbled, letting the door close behind her and resting her body against it, raising her head in exasperation and momentarily closing her eyes. As if sensing eyes on her, they suddenly shot open again, landing immediately on where Edward lay, staring at her with his book completely forgotten.

"Oh! Sorry," she murmured quickly, straightening herself up and off the door. "I didn't realize anyone was in here. I didn't mean to disturb you."

Edward was about to respond, to tell her that she wasn't disturbing, to ask her why she seemed so upset, to offer to move over and give her space to sit with her own book, but he said not a word, reminding himself of his resolve. Instead, he turned back to his book and completely ignored her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her remain still, in the same spot for a few seconds, before finally moving and making her way to the small stack of book shelves, not saying another word. Silently, she perused the shelves, picking up books, leafing through them for about five minutes each and then putting them back, until more than half an hour later, she seemed to finally find one that held her attention. Still perfectly silent, she turned around, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw her facing him, and every muscle in his body ached to look up, to bring his eyes to her, but he fought the feeling down, and after a few seconds, Bella turned on her heel and left the room without another word to Edward.

In the morning, after breakfast, Jasper brought the Ferrari to the front of the house and Alice and Bella walked out, one with a heavy heart, and one feeling lighter and more carefree than she had all week. Tanya and Irina walked out with them, Tanya suddenly much more pleasant than she'd been in days. She hugged Alice warmly and told her she'd miss her and promised to visit, as well as extracted a promise from Alice that she'd visit again soon. Her spirits were so high that she was even able to turn to Bella with a half-convincing smile.

"Bella, it was great having you here. I hope to see you again soon."

Bella smiled back politely. "Thank you for your hospitality Tanya. We had a wonderful time." Both women regarded themselves with not-very-well-hidden animosity before turning away, Alice and Bella made their way to Jasper's car.

Jasper stood waiting, holding the passenger side door across from the driver's seat open for Alice. Curiously enough to Bella, Edward stood stiffly just off to the side of the car. And as Bella approached and raised her eyes to his to give him an obligatory polite good-bye, he quickly moved forward and opened the door to the back seat for Bella. His hand shot out so quickly - searching for hers - that she'd given it to him before she even realized what she'd done, and he took it gently, guiding her into her seat. The indescribable sensation that traveled up her arm, making every nerve ending from the top of her head to the tips of her toes tingle, shocked her, and she had to repress a startled gasp. Yet quickly it was all over, and Bella was in the back seat of the car, unsure of what had just happened. And Edward, Edward strode back into the house, just as stunned as Bella at the electric shock he'd felt when he'd touched her, his hand still humming with electricity as he opened and closed it to make sure the flames hadn't burned it off.

Renee wasn't very happy to see them home. She chastised them for their rush at returning and assured Alice she'd get sick all over again and this time wouldn't have a doctor and his friend at her every beck and call. Their father, although much more reserved in his comments, was actually glad to see them home; he'd really missed them. The evening meals had become dull and ridiculous without Alice and Bella, who were the only two sane people in the family group.

**How do you cut your pancakes? Leave me reviews and let me know**.


	13. Arrogance & Animosity Chs 13&14

**A/N: I'm combining the next two chapters because they're short ones. **

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot belongs to J. Austen. I'm just bringing it all to modern-day Forks.**

**A&A Chapters 13 AND 14.**

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"Sweetheart," Charlie addressed Renee at breakfast the next morning, "I really hope that you're planning on making a nice meal for dinner tonight, because we're expecting a guest."

Renee smirked. "What do you mean a guest? You didn't tell me you'd invited anyone over! I wasn't expecting anyone today, except maybe Leah Clearwater, and whatever I feel inclined to make for dinner should be good enough for her. It's not as if she gets anything better at home."

"The guest I'm referring to is a man."

Renee's eyes sparkled. "A man? Why it must be Jasper Whitlock, I'm sure of it! Oh I'll be so glad to have Jasper over here for dinner. But dang it, all we have in the freezer is a bag of chicken wings and some left over pot luck from last week. Lauren, Jessica, grab your bags. We need to make an emergency trip to the market!"

"It's not Jasper," said Charlie with a roll of his eyes. "It's someone we haven't seen since he was a young kid."

This statement interested everyone at the breakfast table, and Charlie smiled mischievously at the group of curious women in front of him. After he'd had his fun he explained,

"About a month ago, I received an email, and about two weeks ago, I finally responded to it, since I considered it a matter of some importance and requiring a quick response. You see, it was from Billy Black's son, Jacob Black who, should I die before I can finish repaying the debt we owe him, can kick all of your butt's outta here and take this house."

"Aw crap Charlie!" cried Renee. "Please don't talk about that dirty dog. You know I can't stand hearing about him or that whole situation. I think it's the biggest damn injustice that they'd have the right to kick us out of our own house if we can't repay the debt to them. If I were you, I would've tried to do something about that already."

Bella and Alice tried to explain to Renee the nature of a debt, pointing out as delicately as possible that maybe if Renee controlled her spending a bit, Charlie wouldn't have had to borrow money from his friend Billy Black to keep up with their bills. And when Billy and Charlie had a fall out a few years ago, Billy had insisted that the considerably sized loan be repaid as quickly as possible, making it necessary for Charlie to take out a second mortgage on the house, and putting a huge strain on him, since Renee refused to work. But Renee refused to understand and continued insisting that first Billy and then Jacob were heartless bastards and should've just forgotten about the debt.

"It certainly is a very unfair situation," Charlie agreed sarcastically. "And certainly, there's nothing that can clear Jacob of inheriting his father's role as our creditor now that Billy's gone. But if you'll let me read his email to you, it may soften you up a bit."

"I'm sure as hell that it won't. And I think it's very nervy of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical, if I may add. I hate such two-faced people. Why couldn't he just stop speaking to you altogether, the way his father did?"

"Why indeed?" Charlie humored Renee. "But he did seem to be thinking about his father when he wrote this email, as you'll hear."

He then read the email to them.

_Seattle, Washington_

_June 2010_

_I've always regretted the disagreement between you and my late father, and since his passing, I've been eager to fix it. But for a long time I was held back from contacting you by my own doubts, feeling as if making up with you would be a betrayal to his memory, you who he loved to hate. But my mind is made up now, and since receiving my degree in Political Science, I've been lucky enough to secure a position as Assistant to the Senior Senator from Seattle, Ms. Jane De Volturi, whose influence and assistance has helped me secure a small name for myself in the political circles of Seattle, and who I plan to serve with great respect while at the same time being ready to do all I can for the people of this country. As a Senator's Assistant, I feel it my duty to promote fairness and peace to all citizens of this country, and as such I'm pretty confident that the actions I'm taking by contacting you are commendable, and that the circumstances of my being able to call on a debt owed to me by your family at any time will be overlooked and not lead you to reject the olive branch I'm offering. I'm extremely ashamed that I could be the cause of any worries on the part of the females in your family, and would like to take this opportunity to apologize for it as well as to assure you that I plan to do everything possible to make it up to you – but more on that later._

_If you have no objection in letting me stay in your house, I'd like to stop in Forks for a visit the first week in July, and would like to stay for one week. My absence shouldn't be too much of a hardship for Ms. De Volturi, since I've already found someone to cover for me during the week I'll be gone._

_I wish you and your family the very best and remain respectfully yours,_

_Jacob Black_

"We can expect Jake at four o'clock this afternoon," Charlie informed the stunned women, folding up the letter. "He seems to have grown into a polite young man, and should be a fun new friend for you girls. Especially if Senator De Volturi gives him time to visit again in the future. And it's pretty thoughtful of him to think of the women in this family, and if he's under the impression that he needs to make some sort of amends to them, I sure as hell won't stop him."

"I've got no idea what for or how he wants to make amends, but I guess it's the thought that counts," said Alice.

Bella was humored by Jacob's obvious deference to Senator de Volturi, as well as his desire to help all the citizens of the United States. That was in sharp contrast to the Jake she remembered from her early teen years, the one who used to charge non-Quileutes to swim at First Beach in La Push.

"There's something odd about Jake's email," Bella said. "I can't quite put my finger on it. His email was a tad bit on the pretentious side, don't you think? And why is he apologizing for accepting payments for a debt that was legally owed to his father? Are we supposed to believe that he'd cancel the debt if he could? Do you think he's in his right mind?"

Charlie chuckled. "No, Bells hon, I don't. In fact I have high hopes of finding him to be totally the opposite. There is a mixture of servitude and self-importance in his letter which promises to be very entertaining to witness. I'm really looking forward to having him over."

To Jessica and Lauren, neither the email nor its' sender were in any way interesting. It was highly improbable that he'd show up in the black and yellows of a McDonald's employee, and it had been some weeks since they'd had any interest in a man in any other color. As for their aunt, Jake's email had done away with much of her ill-will against him, and she was preparing to see him with a degree of composure that shocked both her husband and the girls in the family.

Jacob arrived punctually at four p.m., and was received hospitably by the Swan family. Charlie himself said little, but the girls were all ready to talk, and Jake seemed neither in need of encouragement nor the silent type himself. He was a tall, muscular and good-looking young man of twenty-four, with a laid-back attitude and relaxed, informal manners. He hadn't been seated long before he turned to Renee and said,

"Mrs. Swan-"

"Please, call me Renee,"

Jacob chuckled easily. "Renee, you certainly have a group of beautiful young women in this house. I've heard plenty of rumors while visiting La Push about their beauty, but in this case, the rumors have definitely fallen short of the truth. I'm sure they'll all be married off before you know it."

His highly chauvinistic comment didn't sit well with all the girls, namely the two eldest ones, but Renee had never been one to turn down a compliment.

"That's such a sweet thing to say, and I sure hope you're right or else they'll be in some serious financial trouble if something ever happens to Charlie, what with that huge debt we owe," she said shamelessly.

Bella and Alice both groaned and covered their faces.

"Oh, I suppose you're referring to the debt owed to me."

"Yes, yes I am," Renee agreed readily. "It's such a hardship to me and my girls to owe so much money, not that I'm blaming you for any of it, it's not as if you had anything to do with the deal your dad and my husband struck up."

"I'm very aware of how hard this must be for you and your girls, Renee, and there's plenty I could say on the subject, but for now I'll hold my tongue. I don't want to get ahead of myself or appear too forward. But please rest assured that I plan to make things easier for everyone. Perhaps in a couple of days, when we've gotten to know each other better-"

Jacob was interrupted by the beeping of the oven, signaling that the roast was ready, and Alice and Bella looked up and gave each other a secret smile. Yeah, this was going to interesting.

During dinner, the girls of the family weren't the only objects of admiration. The hall, the dining room, the furniture were all examined and praised by Jacob. His approval of all the family's material goods would've touched Renee's heart if it wasn't for her suspicion that he was looking at it all as his future property if and when Charlie failed to make good on payments to his debt.

After finishing of every last bite of his roast, Jacob picked up his paper napkin and wiped his mouth off, a big satisfied smile on his face.

"That was absolutely delicious," he exclaimed. He turned to Renee. "I must say Renee, you are an excellent cook. Charlie is a lucky man."

"Well, I'll agree with you that Charlie is indeed a lucky man," Renee said with a tight smile, "but I did not prepare that roast. I assure you I have better things to do with my time than slave away in a kitchen!" she snorted. "No, that was my daughter Bella that prepared tonight's dinner. I keep telling her if she spent half the time she does in the kitchen doing more constructive things like getting to know the boys in the neighborhood or getting herself invited to parties maybe she'd have a boyfriend right now."

"Mom!"

"Well it's true," Renee insisted.

Jacob chuckled, turning his full attention to Bella. "Personally, I've always agreed with the old saying, 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.'" He belched and gave Bella a peculiar smile, his white teeth radiant against his russet skin, and suddenly Bella had the strangest feeling that perhaps the true purpose of Jacob's visit was somehow more than just re-establishing good will with her family.

During dinner, Charlie was his usual quiet self. But while the girls cleared the dishes, he thought it time to start a conversation with his guest, and therefore settled on a subject he was sure would please Jake greatly.

"Jake, you've been very fortunate to land a job as Senator De Volturi's assistant. From what you've told us, she appears to be very considerate of you."

Charlie couldn't have chosen a better subject.

"I've never in my life witnessed such behavior in a person of such high rank," Jake proclaimed solemnly. "To be so easily approachable despite her natural-born superiority! You know she holds an old English title don't you, inherited from her parents? Lady Jane De Volturi. But she refuses to use it in public. Says it makes her look less like the rest of us."

Charlie held in a chuckle.

"Can you believe she's already had me over twice to her mansion in Madison Park?"

"She's had you twice there, has she?" Charlie asked with a straight face.

"Yes!"

Bella almost choked and gave her father a reprimanding glare.

"Now I know she's thought to be extremely proud and conceited by most of the country, but I've personally never heard a mean word from her. Sure she's always full of unsolicited advice, and she sometimes tends to finish my sentences for me, but she's also got some pretty good ideas. Like suggesting that maybe I'd be taken more seriously in our political circles if I were to find a girl to be in a monogamous relationship with. I told her I'd give it some serious thought." He looked away thoughtfully.

"She sounds wonderful," agreed Renee, breaking the ensuing silence. "I wish more high-ranking women in this society were as kind as she. Does she live near you Jake?"

"Well right now, I've got a small home in Madrona, which is just on the other side of Madison Park, where Senator De Volturi lives. But my dream is to own a home in that neighborhood someday."

"Aah," Renee gushed. "I believe I remember hearing she's a widow. Does she have any children?"

"An adopted daughter, Heidi. Unfortunately, Senator De Volturi was never able to have children of her own. I think that's why she's taken me under her wing so eagerly. She sees me almost as the son she may have once had, I think." – Charlie mumbled something unintelligible – "But Heidi is set to inherit a huge estate someday, as well as the Senator's title. Although she does have a couple of nephews that may-"

"What sort of girl is Heidi?" Renee interrupted, completely entranced by the story of wealth and titles.

"She's a sweet sort of girl," Jake confirmed quickly. "Senator De Volturi says that in point of true beauty, Heidi's greatly surpasses that of any regular young girl, due of course to her superior upbringing. But unfortunately, she's always been on the sickly side, which makes it necessary to dig just a _little bit_ deeper to see that true beauty. But it's there, take my word for it," he added right away, clearing his throat.

"Oh I'm sure it is, I'm sure it is," Renee agreed.

Charlie watched this exchange with more than a little amusement. His expectations for the evening had been largely fulfilled; Jake was as clueless as Charlie had expected him to be, although he was also happy to note, not completely hopeless. The kid had been really close to the Swan family once, and Charlie honestly wished him the best. Nevertheless, occasional glances in his favorite daughter's direction let him know that she was just as entertained as he was by the visit.

By dessert time however, Charlie had had enough, and once the conversation turned to politics, Jessica yawned loudly before interrupting with:

"Aunt ReyRey, did you know that Uncle Phil is actually thinking of firing Tyler Crowley from McDonald's because he says he's got enough summer hands right now! Can you believe that? Well, Tyler already told me that if he does get fired, he's already got a job at Burger King lined up. I think I'll go into Port Angeles tomorrow to find out what's going on."

"Jessica, Jake was in the middle of saying something!" Alice reprimanded her younger cousin, although honestly she herself had tuned out what exactly that had been.

"That's fine Alice," Jake assured her. "Politics can be a very boring subject for girls." Bella rolled her eyes at Jake's continuing chauvinism. It was going to be a long week.

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**Reviews please and thank you. And just wanted to let all Team Jacob/Mr. Collins fans out there know, Jake won't be as ridiculous as Mr. Collins originally was. I just couldn't in good conscience do that to him.**

**We'll get a little peak of Edward next chapter. I know we're missing him.**


	14. 14 Arrogance & Animosity Chs 15&16

**A/N: I've combined chapters 15 and 16 of P&P here. Might do the same thing for the next two.**

**Characters belong to S. Meyer. Major story line belongs to J. Austen. **

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_"Are you much acquainted with Mr. Darcy?"_

"_As much as I ever wish to be," cried Elizabeth warmly. "I have spent four days in the same house with him, and I think him very disagreeable." – __**Elizabeth to Mr. Wickham, Pride and Prejudice, Ch. 16**_

**Chapter 15 & 16**

Jacob Black was not always the most sensible guy, and this deficiency hadn't been rectified by either higher education or his position in society. His mother passed away when he was very young, and he was raised most of his life by his father Billy; a nice enough man but rather hard-headed, a trait Jake had inherited with a passion. Billy had also taught him to be humble, but unfortunately the position in which he now found himself combined with staggering good looks and a rocking hard body had turned him into a conceited smart ass.

A stroke of luck had brought him to the attention of Senator Jane De Volturi when the opening for her Personal Assistant had become available. Now the respect he felt for her and the high position she held in politics, as well as his gratitude for all she'd done for him, combined with his good opinion of himself, made him altogether a strange mixture of pride, self-importance and humility.

The truth was that Jake was in search of a wife. He'd built a promising career for himself and was earning a decent salary. When the Senator had quietly suggested that a wife and stable home would earn him more respectability in the eyes of his conservative colleagues and superiors, Jake had immediately taken her words to heart, and his thoughts had quickly gone to his childhood friends, the Swan girls. The fact that the Swan family was greatly indebted to him financially only served to strengthen his belief that he was making the right choice in turning his attentions to them. If the rumors he heard from La Push about the beauty of the Swan girls were true, then he would be killing two birds with one stone; absolving the Swan family of their debt, and finding a suitable wife for himself. A win-win situation all-around.

His plan didn't waiver upon laying eyes on them. Alice Swan's lovely face and manners satisfied all his pre-conceived notions for what was necessary in a suitable wife for a man of his rank. For the first evening, she was his obvious choice.

The next morning however, brought with it some changes. Within fifteen minutes of conversation with Renee over a cup of coffee – a conversation which centered around his new apartment in Madrona and naturally led to his hopes of finding a nice girl to tend to his home while he brought home the bacon – he was pleasantly encouraged with smiles and words, but cautioned against his very first choice.

"I feel I have to warn you Jake," Renee whispered conspiratorially, leaning over the small breakfast table, "Alice is in a serious relationship right now with a young man from town. I wouldn't be surprised to see her engaged to him before the summer was over."

Jake frowned over this new piece of information, but his eyes trailed to the small window over the kitchen sink, and from it he caught sight of Bella coming home from her morning jog, her long dark hair up in a pony tail, swaying back and forth as she ran, a thin sheen of sweat trailing down her abs. It was all it took for his choice in future wife to change.

Renee caught the way Jake's eyes darkened while he stared at Bella, as well as the way the corners of his mouth turned up in a satisfied grin, and she was happy as a pig in mud to think that by the end of the summer she might have two daughters well on their way to financially prosperous relationships.

Jessica's plan to go to Port Angeles the next day wasn't forgotten. All the Swan girls agreed to go, if for nothing else than a change of view from the small town of Forks. Jake was set to join them on the drive after prompting from Charlie, who was anxious to have them all out of the house so he can go on a short fishing trip by himself. He'd expected to have to entertain Jake somewhat, but was unprepared for the young man's habit of following him from room to room and offering up conversation on any and all subjects under the moon. When Jake hinted that he might want to go fishing with Charlie the next time he felt so inclined, Charlie quickly suggested he might be of more use as an escort to the girls on their trip to Port Angeles.

"You're right Charlie," Jake had agreed quickly, helping Bella with her coat while they got ready to go. "It doesn't make sense for four girls as young and pretty as these are to go into Port Angeles by themselves."

Bella rolled her eyes at Jake's words, but said nothing as she made her way into the driver's side of her truck.

"Do you want me to drive?" Jake called out, rushing out behind her.

Bella merely turned around and glared at him without answering.

The ride to Port Angeles consisted of self-centered conversation on Jake's part, received with barely civil nods from the two younger girls and forced smiles and short answers from the two older ones.

They finally arrived in town, and Bella quickly parked the car and got out, anxious for some fresh air and distance from Jake's slightly uncomfortable gaze. Everyone's temper improved once they began their walk down the Port Angeles riverfront, the younger two scouting the streets for hot guys while the older two looked in an occasional shop window and admired the real view.

All four girls' attention was soon occupied however, by the sight of an extremely good-looking guy coming down the opposite street with another man. The man was none other than Tyler Crowley, whom Jessica had specifically made the Port Angeles trip for, and he smiled widely at her as they passed by. All four girls were more interested in the handsome stranger however; and while they wondered who he could be Jessica and Lauren decided to find out, and quickly crossed the street with the excuse of looking into one of the small boutiques at just the opportune moment that the two gentlemen were passing by. With a quick look at each other, Bella and Alice followed, if only to make sure there two younger cousins didn't make complete asses of themselves. Of course, Jake followed all.

"Hey Tyler!" Jessica giggled, running up to the two men with Lauren in tow. "What's going on?" Her eyes trailed to the handsome stranger.

"Hey Jess," Tyler replied cheerfully. "Not much, just showing Mike here the town. He's going to be taking a few classes at the Port Angeles campus for the summer and working at your uncle's McDonalds."

Tyler made the introductions, and Jessica and Lauren's grins grew wide with anticipation that this new hot guy, Mike Newton, would be joining the ranks at McDonald's, because they were both already convinced all he needed to make him perfect was the black and yellow uniform. A quick conversation confirmed he wasn't only physically blessed, but had a great personality and a quick sense of humor. And after five minutes of standing there, all the Swan girls were convinced that Mike Newton was an easy-going guy with gorgeous blue eyes and a way of speaking that left all of them entranced.

It was only the strange and unexplainable tingle up her spine that forced Bella to turn around and away from Mike suddenly, and she was met with the sight of Jasper and Edward heading straight there way.

As soon as both gentleman caught sight of the Swan girls, their steps quickened and in three quick strides they were standing right before them.

"Alice," Jasper breathed, his southern drawl thick and holding a twinge of relief.

"Hey Jasper," Alice smiled broadly.

"We just came from your house. You mom told us you'd all come for a walk in Port Angeles, and we decided to come meet you. Right Edward?"

Jasper turned to his friend for voucher of his words, and Edward was just about to give it, when – while chanting in his mind '_Do not look at Bella, Do not look at Bella'_ – his attention was caught by another face; the new stranger to the group.

Edward paled as soon as he caught sight of Mike, his lip curling into an involuntary snarl while Mike turned beet red. Bella, of course, being the observant creature she was, caught the entire exchange. After a few seconds, as if seeming to remember his manners, Edward gave Mike a terse nod, which Mike returned quickly.

_What the hell was that all about?_ Bella wondered to herself. It was impossible to know. It was unimaginable not to want to find out.

Edward turned to Jasper and murmured, "You know what, I think I'm going to head out on my own. I'll see you back at Forks." And he walked off without another word to anyone.

Jasper frowned, taken by surprise by his friend's sudden desire to leave the group.

"Edward, where are you going?" Jasper called out. But Edward didn't bother to turn or answer. With pursed lips, Jasper turned back to Alice apologetically.

"Alice, do you mind if we catch up later? Let me see what's got Edward…" he trailed off.

"Of course Jazz. I'll see you later then?"

Jasper smiled widely, his blue eyes twinkling with anticipation. "Definitely." He waved goodbye to the rest of the girls and went after Edward.

The girls walked on with Tyler and Mike, until they reached McDonald's, and having the late shift to work that night, the girls and Jacob left for the evening while Tyler and Mike donned their striped caps.

OOOOOOO

"So what do you think all that was about?" Bella picked Alice's brain that night at home, alone in their bedroom. "Why do you think Edward and Mike reacted like that to each other?"

Alice shrugged and shook her head. "I have no idea. But I'm sure whatever it is," – she added cautiously – "they had their reasons, and they're not our business."

Bella pursed her lips and glared at her older sister. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered. She stalked off to her bed and got under the covers before raising herself on her elbows to turn off the bedside lamp.

And as she lay quietly in the darkness of her shared bedroom, her mind turned to Edward, and the way his lips had curled into a snarl, his hands fisted at his sides, and his green eyes blazing in barely controlled fury. She shivered, and told herself it was because she needed an extra blanket, not because she'd been slightly turned on by an infuriated Edward.

And those are the words she kept telling herself as she drifted off to sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next day after work Bella and Alice took a trip to Port Angeles with their cousins and Jake again; since there really wasn't much to do in Forks. After walking around for a while, they ended up in McDonald's, and the girls were all thrilled to learn that Mike and Tyler were just finishing up their afternoon shifts and would be able to join them for some time in the dining room in a few minutes.

While they all sat in the restaurant enjoying their burgers and shakes and waiting for the other two men to finish work, Jake took the opportunity to look around and admire the place, the cleanliness, the neighborhood. He reminded everyone that Senator Volturi lobbied hard in Washington for the rights of every patron to the establishment; he mentioned how Senator Volturi's dining room in her home in Seattle was bigger than the entire McDonald's store they were in; how she had more employees working for her than the entire establishment had.

The Swan girls listened to Jake with barely concealed disinterest, and felt as if time were crawling, until at last Mike and Tyler joined them. As soon as Mike walked into the dining room, Bella was sure she had neither been seeing him before nor thinking of him since with unreasonable admiration. As insane as her cousins were, Bella had to admit many of the guys working in her uncle's McDonald's were surprisingly handsome, but none were more so than Mike.

Every pair of female eyes in the establishment turned and followed him as he made his way to where the girls and Jake sat, and Bella found herself to be the lucky female across from whom he placed himself. And the easy way with which he easily fell into conversation – even if the topic was merely how wet the evening was and the probability of a rainy spell – just managed to prove to Bella that even the most inane subject could be rendered amazing by the skill of the speaker.

The group soon settled into pleasant conversation with each other, and at some point a deck of cards was produced and the group quietly took over an empty corner of the restaurant to play cards and hang out.

Mike did not know the rules of the game currently being played though, and so he changed his seat to the other side of the table, between Bella and Jessica. At first it appeared as if Jessica would manipulate all of Mike's attention for herself, but as she was fond of cards and betting, her attention was soon taken over by the game and Mike was left to talk to Bella at his leisure, and Bella was more than willing to listen. Nevertheless, what she mostly wanted to hear from him she lacked the courage to ask; the history of his acquaintance with Edward. Her curiosity was quickly relieved however, when Mike brought the subject up himself.

"So Bella" – he smiled, his cerulean eyes twinkling brightly as he turned away from the card-playing bunch and brought his face closer to Bella's – "How far away is Forks from here?"

Bella grinned back at him. "About forty minutes or so."

Mike nodded. He hesitated momentarily before speaking again. "And how long has Edward Cullen been staying there?" he asked in a lowered voice.

"A few weeks," Bella responded, and then added quickly, "I hear he's got a nice vineyard in Upstate New York?"

"Yeah, he's got a huge piece of property up there. Worth millions of dollars, that's for sure." He sighed, moving his lips closer to Bella's ear, away from the others. "You couldn't have bumped into anyone who knew more about the Cullens than me, being I've been associated with their family since I was a kid."

Bella arched a surprised eyebrow.

Mike chuckled lowly. "I can understand your surprise. I'm sure you saw the…less than warm greeting we gave each other yesterday. Do you know Edward well?"

"Better than I would've ever wanted to," Bella snickered. "I spent four days trapped in the same house with him and found him to be a self-centered jerk."

"Well, I've got no right to give _my_ opinion," Mike smiled wryly. "I've known him too long and too well to be a fair judge – it's pretty impossible for me to be impartial. But I'm pretty sure your opinion of him would pretty much surprise most people." He chuckled. "Anyway, you're with your own family here; I'm sure you wouldn't speak so freely anywhere else."

Bella pursed her lips. "Trust me, I wouldn't say anything here that I wouldn't be able to say anywhere else in the neighborhood, except for maybe in Netherfield Estate – where he's staying. He's not very well liked in Forks. Everyone's disgusted by his arrogance. I'm pretty sure you won't find anyone there with too many good things to say about him."

After a short pause Mike said, "Well, I can't pretend to be sorry you feel that way, though I must say it doesn't happen very often that anyone's able to see through his charade. Most people are either too blinded by his money and position or too intimidated by his arrogance and ego, and see only what he wants them to see."

Bella snorted. "Even from the little time I've known him I can tell he's an egotistical ass."

Mike simply shook his head. "I wonder…I wonder how much longer he plans to be in Forks."

"I don't really know. I didn't hear of any plans he had of leaving before the summer when I was at Netherfield." Bella looked at Mike warmly. "I hope your plans of staying in the area aren't affected by his presence."

"Hell no!" Mike snickered. "I'm not about to let _him_ chase me away! If he's got beef with me, then _he's_ gonna have to leave! _I'm_ not going anywhere! We sure as hell aren't on what you may call friendly terms, and I hate having to see him, but I have no reason to hide from him. _I_ didn't do anything wrong! _He's_ the one who screwed me over! His father, the late Edward Sr., was one of the best men that ever lived, and every time I see his son I can't help remembering what a great man Edward Sr. was. This Edward however, has been nothing but an asshole to me, but even that I could've forgiven him. I could've ignored every last misdeed except for what he did to disgrace the memory of his late father."

Bella was beyond interested in the subject matter, her heart rate increased and her pulse raced wildly, but she forced herself to listen patiently, without interruptions.

Abruptly, Mike changed the subject to more general topics; Port Angeles, the neighborhood, his job at McDonalds, the university. He appeared very pleased with everything so far, speaking of all his new acquaintances highly.

"It's very important to me to be surrounded by kind, honest people. As a matter of fact, it was Tyler's recommendation that this part of Washington here was full of simple, unpretentious folk who are more concerned with friends and family than money and power that convinced me to move here. I've been disappointed by people before, but I'm not the type of man that can close himself off to friendships. And I've gotta work so that I can pay for school." He looked down at his McDonald's uniform and snorted. "A career in the fast-food industry isn't exactly what I'd hoped for but circumstances being what they are…" Bella bit her lip. "A career in the medical profession…that's what I was born for, that's what I would've had right now, if the gentlemen we were just speaking of hadn't taken it away from me."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, completely forgetting herself.

"The late Edward Sr. left me sufficient funds to pay for my expenses to medical school, and then some. He was my godfather, and loved me very much." Mike sighed. "I can't even begin to tell you how good a man he was. He left me a generous inheritance in his will, but when he passed away, I got nothing."

"What?" cried Bella incredulously. "But how could that be? How could his will simply be disregarded like that? Why didn't you seek legal help?"

"The way my godfather worded it…well…it was just too vague for me to be able to get any help from the law. But any honest man could've easily read his intentions. Edward Jr., however, chose to ignore them, or rather to treat them as merely conditional recommendations. And according to him, I forfeited my claim by being too extravagant with my choice of schools, by being too brash and careless. Really, he was just making excuses. You see, I'm the type of man who speaks his mind, and I probably told him on more than one occasion what I really thought of him, how I felt he was a disgrace to the memory of his father. I honestly can't think of anything else I could've done or said. But the fact is, we are both very different men, and he just hates me."

"This…this is unbelievable," Bella murmured with wide, shocked eyes. "He deserves for everyone to know what an asshole he is!"

Mike smiled sadly. "I'm sure eventually everyone will figure it out on their own. But it won't be by me. As long as I can remember his father, I can't in good conscience speak badly of his son."

Bella was beyond touched by such kind, considerate feelings, and found Mike to be more appealing and handsomer than ever after such a speech. She was silent for a while.

"But why would he do something like that? What could've been his reasons?"

Mike shrugged. "He just really, really hates me. I mean, all I can think of is that he must've been really jealous of me, of how much his father loved me. He's not the sort of man who likes coming in second place, and from early on his father showed a preference for me."

"I…I honestly didn't think Edward was that heartless. I mean, I've never really liked him, but I didn't think he was evil enough to stoop so low! To be so malicious, so cold, so petty!"

After thinking her words through for a few minutes, she continued.

"I do remember him bragging once back at Netherfield, about the inflexibility of his temper, about not being able to forgive easily. What a horrible personality!"

"I don't trust myself enough to comment," said Mike. "I can't really be expected to be an impartial judge of that."

Bella was thoughtful for a moment again. "To treat his godbrother, his father's godson in such a way!" She wanted to add 'Such a great guy too, so obviously loving and kind and wonderful!' but she satisfied herself with just saying "And someone who was probably his own childhood friend!"

Mike nodded in agreement. "We grew up together. My father was Edward Sr.'s lawyer, as well as his friend. He was in charge of the business management of the Pemberley Vineyards. Edward Sr. often said he owed a lot to my father, so before my father died Edward Sr. promised to take care of me. I'm sure it was as much due to the debt he felt he owed my father as it was because of his affection for me."

"That's just crazy!" Bella cried quietly. "Un-freakin-believable! I just can't understand how Edward's own overblown pride didn't force him to be more honest towards you. I mean, if for nothing else than to prove what a great, pompous upstanding man he is!"

"It _is_ hard to believe," Mike agreed, "since almost every move he makes has something to do with his pride. It's what's kept him more or less in line over the years. But we all digress at times and I guess there were stronger feelings than pride guiding his actions towards me."

"Can such an overblown ego ever have done him any good?"

"I suppose technically, it has. You see, his pride over his family name has forced him to pretend to be liberal and generous. To donate large sums of money to various charities and causes. He's proud of the name his father built for the family, and he doesn't want to disgrace it. The Pemberley Vineyards are well known throughout the country, and have a good reputation. To tarnish that reputation would be bad for business, and Edward is smart enough to know that. He knows that he and his sister's familial _and_ financial legacies are tied to those vineyards. Both he and his sister are very sharp when it comes to finances." Mike snorted. "He's taught Rosalie well."

"What type of girl is Rosalie?"

Mike shook his head. "I wish I had good things to say about her. I hate speaking badly of a Cullen, but she is too much like her brother – very, very arrogant. She was cool as a kid; she and I spent a lot of time together, but she acts like she doesn't even know me now. She is beautiful, I'll give her that. And I heard she was recently accepted to Juilliard in New York. Since their parent's death she's been living in their condo in New York City. They have a lady that comes to check in on her whenever Edward's not around, and make sure she's okay."

"Hmm," Bella murmured thoughtfully, and then the conversation went off on a different tangent, though the topic was never far from Bella's mind. After a few minutes, she couldn't resist coming back to it.

"You know what else surprises me?" she asked without waiting for an answer. "His close friendship with Jasper Whitlock. I mean, Jasper is just about the sweetest, kindest guy you could ever meet. How could they possibly be friends! Do you know Jasper?"

"Not really, no."

"He is such a sweetheart. I doubt he has any idea what type of man Edward really is!"

"He probably doesn't. But Edward's very good at putting up a front. He doesn't lack charm when it suits him. He's very different among those who he considers to be of his social standing from what he is with us poor peons," Mike smiled wryly. "I mean, he's always pretty proud, but with those like himself he's very liberal-minded and sincere; hell, maybe even friendly!" he joked.

The card game soon ended and Jake came and took a seat next to Bella. She asked him how he'd faired in the game.

He shrugged and grinned carelessly. "Not too well, I guess. But you know what they say, 'Unlucky at cards…" he trailed off with an impish smile in Bella's direction. She turned away from him.

"Anyway, I'm not the kind of person who needs to worry about dropping a bill or two at a card game. Senator De Volturi and the federal government are very generous employers."

Mike's head quickly whipped in Jake's direction, and after watching him for a few minutes he asked Bella in a low voice how Jake knew the senator.

"Oh, Jake's her personal assistant," Bella responded in an equally low voice. "I'm not exactly sure how long he's worked for her, but I don't think it's been that long."

"You know that Senator De Volturi was the late Esme Cullen's aunt, and she is therefore Edward's second aunt?"

"No I did not!" Bella whispered in shock. "Until yesterday, all I knew about Senator De Volturi was that she was a senator from Washington State."

"Senator De Volturi also comes from a rich and powerful family, and it's always been her not-so-secret wish that Edward and her adopted daughter Heidi tie the knot someday and combine both families' names and fortunes."

This information made Bella smile. Poor, poor Tanya. All her ass-kissing towards Edward and his sister were useless if his interests already lay elsewhere.

"Jake has nothing but good things to say about Senator De Volturi and her daughter," Bella whispered in Mike's direction. "But I get the feeling his gratitude towards her misleads him. He's said a few things that make me think that maybe Senator De Volturi is just an arrogant and conceited wench."

Mike snorted. "Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. I haven't seen her in years, but I never liked her. I remember she spoke down to everyone. She's got a reputation for being pretty clever, but I think it just comes from people bowing to her rank and fortune."

Bella readily accepted his account of things, and they continued talking until the rest of the group decided Bella had manipulated Mike's attention long enough. And for the rest of the afternoon, everyone enjoyed conversation with Mike. His manners were perfect. Whatever he said, was said well. Whatever he did, he did gracefully and with charm.  
By the time the Swan girls plus Jake headed back to Forks, Bella's head was swimming with thoughts of Mike. She could think of nothing else but him, and what he'd told her that day.

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**Reviews and thoughts?**


	15. A & A Chapters 17 & 18

**A/N: Again, I've combined two chapters here. Chapter 18 is one of my favorites in Pride and Prejudice…**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer, major story line belongs to J. Austen. I'm just moving them to modern day Forks.**

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_"Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may ensure his __making__ friends—whether he may be equally capable of __retaining__ them, is less certain." _

_"He has been so unlucky as to lose __your__ friendship," replied Elizabeth with emphasis, "and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life." – __**Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 18**_

**A&A Chapters 17 & 18**

The next day during their morning jog, Bella told Alice all about what Mike had told her. Alice listened to the story with wide-eyed disbelief – she just couldn't believe that Edward could be so cold; so different from his good friend Jasper. But at the same time she found it hard to question the honesty of someone as pleasant and nice as Mike. She couldn't but help feel extremely sorry for him at the possibility that he could have really been the victim of such horrible treatment. Therefore, all she could do was give them both the benefit of the doubt, and believe that there had to be a logical explanation for the situation.

"There was definitely some miscommunication there," Alice told Bella thoughtfully. "Or some other factor is at play which we know nothing about. Maybe there was an interested third party involved that turned them against each other?" she thought aloud, staring ahead blindly. She sighed and turned to Bella. "Either way, without all the information it's impossible for us to form any judgment without condemning one or the other."

Bella stared at her sister. "You're right, of course." She turned her eyes straight ahead. The early morning Forks fog blanketed the outdoors with grey smoke, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead of them.

"And how about the interested third party that may have turned them against each other? Do find a way to clear them too, or else we may be forced to think badly of somebody!" she deadpanned.

Alice rolled her eyes and looked straight ahead. "Make fun of me all you want Bella, but you're not going to change my opinion. Think of it logically," she pleaded softly. Bella sighed impatiently. "The Pemberley Vineyards are well known for their generous donations to philanthropic organizations. Would it make sense for the owner of such a highly-esteemed company to do something so indisputably ungenerous to his own god-brother? To his late father's godson? It makes no sense! No man with half a heart could do something like that! And then to be able to fool his closest friends too? No, I just can't accept it!" she cried, speeding up.

Bella exhaled and picked up her pace too. "I can more accept the possibility that Jasper has no idea what kind of man Edward really is, than that Mike is completely making up the story! He gave me names yesterday, facts, everything mentioned without pause. If it's not true, then let Edward contradict it. Besides, Mike looked completely honest when he told me the story."

Alice stopped suddenly, bending at the waist and placing both palms on her knees while she caught her breath. Bella imitated her actions.

"It's a crazy situation, that's for sure. It's hard to know what to believe," Alice breathed.

Bella's head snapped up. "Excuse me," she snorted, "but I find it really easy to know what to believe."

But Alice's mind was unpleasantly involved in a different point – that poor Jasper would be guilty of being an asshole by association if this situation ever became public.

The conversation was curtailed by the arrival of some of the very people of whom they'd been speaking. Jasper and his cousins Tanya and Irina drove up in his car, to personally deliver their invitations to the long-awaited party at Netherfield Estate on the following Friday. Jasper alone stepped out of the car, while his cousins waited inside, waving happily at Alice, and completely ignoring Bella.

Alice was extremely embarrassed to be caught all sweaty and red by Jasper, but from the looks that he gave her, Bella could tell she could've been dripping puke and Jasper wouldn't have minded. Bella walked a few feet away to give the two a few minutes of privacy.

"Oh my God Bella," Tanya suddenly called out from the car. "I've never seen someone so sweaty in my whole life! Are you sure that's not a medical condition?" Bella could hear Irina snickering in the seat next to her.

Bella smiled and walked slowly towards the car, bending down to stick her head through the lowered window and resting her forearms on the sill. Tanya and Irina glared at her, unsure of her motives. With purposeful motions, Bella removed the black rubber band that was holding her admittedly drenched hair up, and proceeded to shake her head quickly back and forth, her sweaty hair flying in all directions and dripping over the car and against Tanya.

"Well, if it is a medical condition," Bella laughed while Tanya screamed in disgust and put her hands up to cover her face, "let's hope it's not catchy."

Tanya huffed angrily, wiping herself off. "That's disgusting!"

Bella stood back up and smiled at Tanya again. "Well, when you get back home, maybe you can have Edward give you a good physical or something." Then she sauntered back towards Alice and Jasper, chuckling to herself.

Every female in the Swan family was extremely excited at the prospect of the Netherfield Party. Renee was convinced that the party was being specifically thrown in honor of Alice, especially since Jasper hand delivered the invitation himself. Alice pictured a fun evening in the company of her friends and of course…Jasper, and Bella could think only of dancing all night with Mike, and of seeing a confirmation in Edward's eyes and actions of everything Mike had told her. As for Jessica and Lauren, their thoughts for the evening revolved less around one particular person – though they were both also looking forward to dancing with Mike. But Mike was by no means the only guy that would satisfy them for the evening, and after all, a party was a party.

Bella was so excited that, although she usually tried to stay away from Jake, she couldn't help asking him whether he intended to go to the party or not. She was pretty surprised to find out that he did intend to attend, considering his highly conservative views, and that he was furthermore pretty sure that Senator DeVolturi would have no problem with him letting loose once in a while.

"I assure you Bella, I'm not that much of a prude," he laughed, sitting at the dinner table while Bella and the rest of the woman cleaned up. "And besides, Jasper seems to be a pretty upstanding sort of guy; I'm pretty sure there won't be any funny business going on there. In fact," he added, leaning closer to Bella as she bent down begrudgingly to pick his dirty dish off the table, "I'd be honored if you reserved the first couple of dances of the evening for me," he grinned.

Bella was horrified. She'd actually just been picturing herself walking into Jasper's large living room and being immediately swept away to the dance floor by Mike. And to have to dance with Jake instead! She cursed herself for having brought up the dance at all! But Bella couldn't say no to the puppy dog eyes Jake was giving her, and so she accepted as gracefully as possible. His eyes grew wide in appreciation and a smug grin graced his lips. And Bella was suddenly struck with a horrible thought: that Jake could possibly picture some sort of future for himself and her. All of a sudden, Bella became increasingly aware of Jake's growing attentions towards her, and his frequent compliments in her direction. Yet while she was more shocked than pleased by these attentions, Renee soon made it clear to her that the probability of a long-term relationship between Jake and herself sounded like a great idea to her. For the moment though, Bella chose to ignore her mother's crazy hints; though she was sure there would be an epic fight on the subject in the near future. Either way, for now, Jake's attention was more covert than not, so there really was no reason to worry about a confession that may never come.

If there hadn't been a Netherfield party to talk about and prepare for, the young Swan woman would have been in a horrible state indeed, since from the day the party was announced to the actual night it would take place, the rain fell like a monsoon over Forks, making any sort of outdoor activities out of the question, and trapping them all inside the house for the better part of the week. Even Bella would have been out of sorts in this weather – which totally put a dent in her plans to get to know Mike better – if it weren't for the anticipation of Friday to calm her.

OOOOOOOOOO

Until the moment that Bella walked into the large living room at Netherfield Estate and looked in vain for Mike among the crowd of young girls and guys, the idea that he wouldn't be at the party had never even crossed her mind. She'd prepared herself for the evening with more than the usual care; her hair was ironed as straight as a stick, the pretty dark blue blouse she wore complimented her figure perfectly, hugging her without being overly tight, her denim skirt was shorter than what she'd usually wear, but not skanky, and her cute sandals showed off her freshly pedicured toes. In short, she was completely prepared to conquer whatever part of Mike's heart remained to be conquered, sure that the long night would give her sufficient time to do so. But abruptly, a thought she'd never even considered hit her: that Mike would be omitted from the evening's festivities at Edward's request. And though this wasn't exactly the case, the confirmation of his absence was announced by Tyler, after Jessica asked about him. The story was that Mike was out of town on some sort of business. Then Tyler added with a loaded smile,

"I'm pretty sure that his business wouldn't have called him out of town just now, if it wasn't for his desire to avoid a certain other gentleman here tonight."

Jessica herself missed this bit of information, but Bella caught it all. And it reinforced her belief that Edward was as responsible for Mike's absence as if her initial suspicions had been correct. Suddenly, every feeling of dislike for Edward was sharpened even more by her disappointment, and as luck would have it, the object of her fury chose that moment to make his presence known.

"Hello Bella," a velvety voice murmured from behind her.

Bella turned around quickly and was met by Edward's deep green eyes, gazing at her with a crooked grin in place. And even through her ire, every bit of her that was a woman found it impossible to deny how unbelievably _perfect_ Edward looked in his casual blazer and white crisp button down shirt underneath, with just the tiniest bit of bronze chest hair poking through, and dark slacks that were definitely custom made for him. And try as she might, she also couldn't deny the electric shock that coursed through her at soon as she laid eyes on him.

Whatever her physical response may have been, her verbal response to him was cool and formal.

"Edward," she answered quietly.

His emerald eyes sparkled in the low light of the room. "How have you been?"

"Okay, thanks," she said shortly, and then begrudgingly she added, "And you?"

"The evening's looking up actually," he responded.

Bella thought she saw him trail his eyes up and down her form appreciatively, but her irritation was too great, and she turned her eyes away from him. Every moment she spent talking to him was an insult to poor Mike, and so she decided against any sort of conversation with Edward.

"I'll see you around," she mumbled, turning away from him with barely controlled acrimony which even tainted her greeting to Jasper, whom she couldn't help but blaming for his obvious partiality towards Edward.

But Bella wasn't an ill-humored person at heart. Though her own evening had been completely ruined, her spirits couldn't be kept down, and having found Leah and told her all her stories, she was soon able to enjoy herself again. That is, until it was time for her dances with Jake.

As vivacious and easygoing as Jake was, he turned out to be a horrible dancer! He spent half the time stepping on Bella's toes, and the other half moving in a totally disjointed rhythm against Bella. She was sure she'd never been as relieved as when those two dances were finally over.

She danced next with another friend of Tyler's, and had the pleasure of talking to him about Mike, and of hearing that he was universally liked by all who knew him. When the dance was over, she went back to her friend Leah. In the middle of an easy conversation with her, she felt a strangely familiar tingle up her spine again.

"You look beautiful tonight Bella," the familiar voice complimented her, and Bella turned around to find herself looking into those hauntingly green eyes once more.

"Thank you," she responded instinctively, startled by the compliment.

He smiled at her again, a crooked grin that made something inside her jump. "I have to go help Jasper bring out a few more cases of beer but…I was wondering if I you'd give me the honor of saving a couple of dances for me later on?"

Once again, Bella was so shocked by the unexpected request that she found herself nodding her agreement without any thought.

His grin widened, once again doing strange and inexplicable things to her insides, and then he walked away immediately.

"What. The hell. Did I just do?" she squeaked quietly to her friend once Edward was out of hearing range.

Leah chuckled and patted her friend on the back. "Relax. I dare say you might even enjoy it if you let yourself."

"Heck. No!" Bella argued, bringing her palm against her forehead. "Bite your tongue Leah! You expect me to let myself enjoy dancing with a man I'm determined to hate? What kind of a friend are you?"

Leah shook her head and smiled amusedly at her friend, staring at her thoughtfully.

"What?" Bella asked impatiently.

But Leah just snorted. "Nothing."

In less time than Bella would have liked, Jasper and Edward were back from there errand, and then he was approaching her, and when she felt his hand wrap around hers, pulling her gently towards the dance floor, Bella felt an army of wild butterflies attack her stomach. Her heart racing inexplicably like a horse, she forced her legs to move and follow him on the dance floor.

But before she could walk away, Leah firmly grabbed her other hand and quickly whispered in her friend's ear,

"Don't be an idiot Bella and let your crush on Mike blind you to a man ten times his worth!"

Bella made no answer and moved on to the dance floor with Edward. When she recognized the song they'd be dancing to, she felt like laughing and crying all at once. Laughing, because of the opening lyrics, and crying because it was a song that required her to drape her arms around his neck, and his arms around her waist. But the searing heat that enveloped her body when they put their arms around each other for the dance left her too dumb and dazed for any sound to escape her mouth.

'_I've been running around, always looking down at all I see,' _

With Bella's head at chest level with Edward, she could hear him singing along with the song.

'_Painted faces fill the spaces I can't reach  
__You know that I could use somebody  
__You know that I could use somebody  
__Someone like you and all you know and all you see…_

He was still singing along, and Bella could've sworn she felt his lips against her hair. She fought an involuntary shudder. But his hands on her waist felt so warm, so soothing. She had an inexplicable sudden desire to move her hands from his shoulders and run them through his hair, but she controlled herself, well aware that almost all eyes in the room were on her and Edward. Everyone was probably as shocked as she was that Edward had lowered himself to actually dance with someone.

When the song was over, Bella let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding, and mumbling a quick "thanks for the dance," made to move back to Leah, when Edward's strong arm gripped her by the waist again, pulling her back towards him.

"You promised me two dances," he said intently, his eyes boring into hers in a strange way she didn't understand. And once again struck mute, she let him bring her arms around his neck again, before wrapping his arms around her waist once more.

With her eyes on the floor, she heard the music begin. But this time, Edward pulled her into him much closer, with an intensity that almost knocked the wind out of her. Every inch of her torso was now held tightly to him, and the shock of feeling his hard body against hers sent a thousand prickly needles through every bit of her heated skin. She raised her startled eyes to his, only to be met by that strange intensity again. And once again, when the lyrics began, he sang along in his smooth, velvet voice. But this time, he locked his eyes with hers, and something about the way he gazed at her made it impossible for her to look away.

'_I've been meaning to tell you  
__I've got this feeling that won't subside.  
__I look at you and I fantasize  
__You're mine tonight.  
__Now I've got you in my sights with these  
__Hungry eyes.  
__One look at you and I can't disguise I've got  
__Hungry Eyes.  
__I feel the magic between you and I.'_

Bella felt as if she were drowning in some strange, confusing ocean. Trying to clear her mind, she forced herself to break their gaze at looked down at her feet again.

'_I wanna hold you so hear me out,' _

She felt the vibration of his soft singing against her scalp.

'_I wanna show you what love's all about, darling tonight.  
__Now I've got you in my sights with these  
__Hungry Eyes…'_

Her body tingled from his voice, from his proximity, from his hands on her waist and his chest against hers, from his scent, clean and musky and something she couldn't quite place.

She had to clear her mind, because frankly, her brain was getting confused here. Shaking her head quickly to force herself to focus, she lifted teasing eyes to him.

"These slow songs must seem torturous to you right now," she said in a mocking tone.

He tilted his head to the side. "No, I wouldn't say that."

They were silent.

"It's your turn now to say something Edward. I made a comment on the music, now you should make some kind of comment on the size of the room, or on the number of people on the dance floor."

He smiled. "Just tell me what you want me to say Bella, and I'll say it."

She huffed, unsatisfied with his vague answer. "Okay. That response'll do for now. Maybe in a few I'll say something about how private parties are much more pleasant than public ones, but for now, we may be silent."

"Do you find it necessary to talk while you're dancing then?" he teased.

"Sometimes. You've got to at least make some sort of an effort at conversation, you know. It would look pretty weird to be completely silent, especially if you're dancing more than one dance. Although I guess for _some people_, conversation needs to be arranged so that they can say as little as humanly possible."

"Are you speaking for yourself, or do you believe you're speaking for me?"

"Both," replied Bella mischievously. "You see, I've always thought you and I are very similar in that way. We are both of a sort of anti-social, brooding nature. Unwilling to speak unless we can say something that'll amaze the whole room and be handed down through generations like a great proverb."

"That description doesn't do much merit to your character Bella," he said quietly. "How near it may be to _mine_ isn't in my power to say, though I'm sure you believe it to be a faithful characterization."

"Well, I can't decide on my opinion alone."

He didn't answer. They were silent again for a few seconds.

"Do you and your sister and cousins hang out in Port Angeles very often?" Edward asked.

"Yes," Bella answered, and then unable to resist, added, "When you met us there the other day, we were just making a new acquaintance."

Edward stiffened immediately and his features darkened. But he didn't say a word. For a brief moment, Bella felt horrible, and lowered her head in shame.

Finally Edward answered in a constrained voice, "Mike Newton has been blessed with such a pleasant personality that he's sure to _make_ friends wherever he goes. Whether he's equally capable of keeping them is less certain."

Her eyes shot up to meet his tight ones. "Well he's been unlucky enough to lose your friendship," she shot out, "and in a way that he's assured to suffer from for the rest of his life."

Edward sighed heavily, but made no answer. At that moment, Seth appeared close to them, dancing his way around the room, but upon spotting Edward dancing with Bella, he stopped in front of them immediately.

"See? I told you that you two would look great together cuttin' the rug! You look like Brit Brit and Justin out here! It's like you're the ying to Bella's yang and shit! And now that Alice and Jasper'll probably be tying the knot sometime in the near future, you two can meet up for dances all the time! But let me leave you two alone to continue your dancing and conversing. I know I'd hate to be interrupted if I had someone as hot as Bella in my arms!"

The second part of the speech was hardly heard by Edward; Seth's comment about Alice and Jasper tying the knot had knocked the wind out of him, and his eyes moved seriously towards where Alice and Jasper were dancing together. His eyes narrowed perceptibly before turning back to Bella.

"Seth's interruption has made me forget what we were talking about."

"I don't think we were talking at all," answered Bella dryly. "Seth couldn't have interrupted two people in the room who had less to say for themselves. We've tried two or three subjects already without success, and what we can possibly try to talk about next I have no idea."

"What do you think of books?" Edward smiled crookedly.

"Books? No, I highly doubt you and I read the same sort of books, and if we do, I'm positive we don't get the same thing out of them."

"It's a shame you feel that way," Edward answered. "But if that's the case, then at least we can compare our different opinions."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Not a good idea. I can't concentrate on something so complex while dancing."

"The _present_ always occupies your mind in such scenes, does it?" he smirked.

"Yes, always," Bella replied, without listening to herself. Her mind had wandered far from the subject of books. She exclaimed suddenly,

"Edward, I remember hearing you say once that you hardly ever forgave. That your resentment once created was hard to overcome. You're very careful then, I would assume, as to its _being created_."

"I am," Edward answered firmly.

"And you never allow yourself to be blinded by prejudice?"

"I hope not."

"It's very important that those who never change their opinion are careful to judge carefully in the first place."

"May I ask what these questions are about?" Edward asked.

"I'm just trying to figure you out," answered Bella, trying to instill her voice with some levity.

"And what have you found so far?" he asked curiously.

Bella stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not doing very well. I hear such different accounts of you that they leave me totally confused."

"I'm pretty sure" - Edward said, his eyes serious - "that rumors vary greatly in respect to me." His expression suddenly softened, almost pleading, "Bella, I wish you wouldn't try to figure me out, not just yet, as I have reason to believe your attempt would satisfy neither one of us at the moment."

"But if I don't figure you out now, I may never get another chance."

Edward's face hardened. "Then by all means, go ahead. I wouldn't dare deny you the pleasure," he said coldly.

Neither one said anything else for the rest of the dance. And when the song was over, they parted in silence, both dissatisfied with how things had gone, though not to an equal degree. Edward's chest ached from the feelings she brought out in him, both positive and negative, but his undeniable feelings for her soon made it impossible for him to be upset with her, and he directed all his anger towards someone else.

They hadn't long been separated when Tanya approached Bella. With a wry expression, she said,

"Bella, I hear tell you and Mike have become rather close…acquaintances in the past few days. Alice has been asking me a million questions about him. It looks like Mikey was so busy filling you in on _other interesting facts_ that he forgot to tell you that his father was the late Edward Senior's attorney."

Bella stared at her blankly. Tanya took this as an indication to continue.

"Let me give you some friendly advice," Tanya said with an air of superiority. "If I were you, I wouldn't believe everything Mike says. His rants and raves against Edward are total bullshit. If anything, Edward's never been anything but kind to him; Mike was the one who tried to screw Edward over."

Bella glared at Tanya, but Tanya was too engrossed in her speech to notice. She drew in closer to whisper conspiratorially,

"I'm not exactly clear on all the facts, but I do know for a fact that Edward was not to blame at all, and that he can't even stand to hear Mike's name mentioned, and that although Jasper thought he'd have to invite Mike to the party tonight just out of politeness, he was glad to hear that Mike would be taking himself out of the way. He's got some damn nerve showing up in this part of the country to begin with!"

Then she straightened up and looked at Bella with pity.

"Aw, I'm sorry to be the deliverer of bad news Bella! I know how much you liked Mike. But really, what can you expect from a guy with such a classless background?"

Bella glowered at Tanya, and had to take a moment to calm herself before answering.

"His guilt and his background appear to be one and the same to you Tanya," Bella hissed angrily, "since I haven't heard you actually accuse him of anything more than being the son of one of the late Edward Senior's employees. And of _that fact_, I assure you, he informed me himself!"

"Well excuse the heck out of me!" Tanya replied indignantly. "I was only trying to help!" she said, and then turned away with a sneer.

'_Nervy witch_!' Bella thought to herself. '_You're out of your mind if you think I'll listen to anything you of all people have to say. All I saw in that speech is how ignorant you are to anything related to Edward!'_

Bella stalked away in search of Alice, to see what she had learned regarding the Mike issue. When she found her, Alice was glowing with excitement, but Bella could tell that it was excitement for how well the party was going, how much closer she and Jasper were growing. At that moment, Bella's curiousity regarding Mike, her irritation with his enemies, and everything else took a back seat to Alice's happy face.

"I want to know if you've learned anything else about Mike," Bella smiled impishly at her sister, "but I understand perfectly if you've been too pleasantly engaged to think of him, or anyone else other than a certain tall, blond blue-eyed southern gentleman," she teased.

Alice chuckled guiltily. "No, I haven't forgotten Mike," she reassured her sister. "But I don't have anything new to tell you." Her expression turned apologetic. "Jasper doesn't know the whole story, and even less about what exactly Mike did to piss Edward off, but he completely stands by Edward, and is sure that whatever it was, Mike deserved exactly what he got." Alice sighed. "I'm sorry Bella, but by Jasper's account, as well as by Tanya's, Mike is an asshole. He acted recklessly and as a result, deserved whatever Edward did to him."

"Jasper doesn't know Mike personally?" Bella asked.

"No. He never saw him till the other day at Port Angeles."

"So what you've just told me is information Jasper got from Edward. Fine then. But what does he have to say about the will?"

"Jasper doesn't exactly recall all the particulars, though Edward has mentioned it on a few occasions. But from what he does remember, he's pretty sure that the will specifically stated that the inheritance was _conditional_."

Bella pursed her lips, but then looked at her sister kindly. "Alice, I'm sure Jasper completely believes what he told you, but I've got to apologize if I can't completely buy that story. Jasper coming to the defense of his friend is only natural, but since he seems to be totally unaware of so many of the circumstances, and what he does know he's gotten from Edward, my opinion on both men remains exactly the same as it was before."

Both women then changed the subject to something less aggravating. Bella listened intently to Alice's happy tales about her and Jasper. And when Jasper himself joined them, Bella discreetly walked away and left them both alone. She met up with Leah again.

"So Bella," Leah asked with a wide grin, "how did you enjoy your long-ass dance with-"

"Hey Bella, guess what I just found out?" Jake suddenly appeared before them, looking excited.

"I just overheard someone mention that Edward Cullen is here tonight?"

"Yes," Bella confirmed warily.

"Well he's Senator DeVolturi's nephew!" Jake exclaimed. "Damn, it's a small world!" His eyes scanned the room. "Where is he? I want to go introduce myself. There is no wrong place or time to increase your circle of connections and discuss politics."

Bella's eyes widened. "Jake, I don't think a party is the right-"

But Jake had zeroed in on Edward, and was now quickly scurrying towards him.

Bella watched the exchange curiously.

Jake tapped Edward on the shoulder, and Edward turned around. From where she stood, Bella could just barely make out Jake mouthing the words, 'Seattle,' and 'Senator DeVolturi's assistant.' Edward just watched him blankly, and it annoyed Bella to see Jake so excited when Edward was obviously extremely bored. Then Edward turned around again, only to have Jake tap him on the shoulder once more. This time, when Edward turned to face the other young man, he was obviously irritated. Finally, both men seemed to say their goodbyes, and Edward turned around once again with obvious relief.

Jake quickly made his way back to Bella with a huge grin on his face.

"That was so freakin' unbelievable! He is such a cool guy. See? I told you there was no wrong place or time to increase your connections. He even told me he was sure I was the best assistant his aunt could've ever hired. Jeez, he is really cool!"

Bella rolled her eyes and walked away.

With no other interests of her own to pursue for the night, Bella turned her attention almost completely to Jasper and Alice. It warmed her to see how well those two got along, how over the moon they appeared with each other. And although she knew Alice would be leaving for graduate school at the end of the summer, Jasper would be headed in the same direction, to New York City. Bella could easily see them continuing their relationship on that coast, and could even believe that maybe, he was _the one_ for Alice. She passed the next half hour or so picturing her sister and Jasper living happily in some trendy little loft in New York, she herself visiting them at times, and even bumping into Jasper's cousins there once in a while with no hostility, under those circumstances.

When Bella's gaze happened to land on her mother Renee, she could plainly see that Renee's thoughts were more or less on the same wavelength as hers, and she decided to try and stay away from her for the rest of the night and avoid her mother's less than subtle remarks on the subject.

Therefore, it was just plain old bad luck that they ended up next to each other on the buffet line, with Bella in front while her mother and Sue Clearwater talked pretty loudly behind her.

"You just watch Sue," Renee gushed in a high voice, "my Alice is gonna be Mrs. Jasper Whitlock before the year's over, and she'll be living the high life up there in New York City. Living in a multi-million dollar house, driving the most expensive cars, looking down at everyone else."

Both women laughed and Bella felt her cheeks flame bright red.

"Of course, I'll send the rest of the girls to stay with them as much as possible. I mean, Jasper's gotta have loads of rich, handsome friends, right?"

"Mom, can you _please_ lower your voice?" Bella hissed desperately. She could see more than one pair of eyes on her mother, and unfortunately, one of those pairs belonged to Edward, who stood on the line only a couple of people in front of them. "Everyone can hear you, and Edward is just a few feet away!"

Renee just smirked at her.

"Oh please Bella. What the hell do I care what Edward Cullen thinks? Who does he think he is? Why should I watch what _I_ say in front of him?"

"For the love of God mom! What good does it do you to insult him? It won't earn you any brownie points with Jasper, that's for sure!"

But Bella could say nothing to convince Renee to lower her voice, or to watch what she said. Renee kept going and going, and Bella's face grew redder and redder. She couldn't help glancing towards Edward, and every glance convinced her that although he never looked directly at Renee, he could very plainly hear every word she said. The expression on his face changed gradually from indignant contempt to a composed and steady severity.

Finally, Renee stuck a piece of food in her mouth and shut up. Bella drew in a sigh of relief.

But her relief didn't last long. No sooner had everyone finished eating, that it became obvious that her underage cousins had been drinking more than just punch for the past couple of hours. And while Jessica flirted shamelessly with every man under thirty in attendance, Lauren decided it would be fun to pretend that the elegant marble column in the middle of Jasper's large living room was a dancing pole, and proceeded to put on a very titillating performance for everyone in attendance.

Everyone stared at her in shock, more than a few mouths hanging open, while Bella looked on in horror. She turned her eyes to Alice and saw her trying to ignore the spectacle while she spoke to Jasper. Then Bella looked at Jasper's cousins and caught them both giving each other loaded grins. Edward was looking away from Lauren, but the tight set of his square jaw and the seriousness of his expression made it obvious that he greatly disapproved of the embarrassing performance.

Bella walked quickly towards Charlie.

"For heaven's sake dad, will you get Lauren off of that column? She'll be stripping her clothes off next!"

Charlie walked solemnly over to Lauren.

"That'll be enough Lauren," he said in a steady voice. "Everyone is thoroughly entertained. Why don't you let one of the other girls see if they'd like a turn?" he added dryly.

Bella blushed even more at her father's speech, but Lauren finally stumbled away from the pole. To Bella, it seemed that, had everyone in her family made an agreement to thoroughly embarrass themselves, they could not have done a better job than they had tonight. It only partially mollified her to think that Jasper seemed to have missed most of the show, and that his feelings for Alice seemed more genuine than to be affected by such things anyway. It was bad enough that his cousins and Edward had all bared witness to the events, and she couldn't decide whether she was more upset by _his_ silent contempt or by _their_ mocking smiles.

The rest of the evening did little to make her feel better. Jake flirted with her non-stop, and stuck to her like a leach, and though he was unable to convince her to dance with him again, his behavior made it impossible for her to dance with anyone else. It did no use to try to talk him into dancing with someone else, or to promise to introduce him to any of the young girls present at the party. He reassured her that he didn't mind not dancing, that his only goal for the evening was to be at her beck and call, and that he would therefore make it a point to stay close to her for the rest of the evening. And no amount of arguing could change his mind. She was therefore more than grateful to Leah, who often joined them, and who seemed ready and willing to engage Jake in pleasant conversation.

Bella was at least free from any further attention from Edward. Though he was often standing within just a few short feet of her, alone and idle, he didn't try to speak to her again. She was sure it was due to her remarks regarding Mike, but she told herself she was glad he was ignoring her.

The Swan Family was the last to leave the party, due to some sort of sneaky move on Renee's part, which resulted in Charlie, Alice and Bella searching for over forty-five minutes for the keys to the police cruiser before they 'miraculously' appeared in Renee's purse, and which also resulted in giving them a chance to see how badly they were wished away by some of the members of the household.

Tanya and Irina barely opened their mouths during the whole time, except to yawn loudly and complain about how tired they were. They thwarted any attempt on Renee's part to engage them in conversation, while Jake spent the time needlessly complimenting Jasper and his cousins on the elegance of their home.

Edward said nothing at all.

Charlie, equally as silent, merely stood off to the side enjoying the scene.

And Jasper and Alice stood off alone in a corner whispering quietly to themselves.

"Well," Renee exclaimed once the whole 'Where are the car keys?' charade was done with, "Jasper, I really hope you'll come join us for dinner soon!"

"I would be honored Mrs. Swan," Jasper responded politely, "as soon as I return from Seattle. I've got some business I've got to take care of there tomorrow, but I should be back within the next couple of days."

Renee was perfectly satisfied with this, and left the house delighted and perfectly assured that within the next few months, she'd be shopping for a wedding dress for Alice and bridesmaid dresses for her other girls. As a matter of fact – she thought happily to herself – if things went just right, she'd be shopping for another wedding dress at right about the same time – for Bella. And although Bella was by no means her favorite child, she figured Jake was a good enough husband for _her_, though he was _nowhere_ near as rich or as important as Jasper.

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**A****/N: Reviews are almost as good as a slow dance with Edward...**

**Next couple of chapters will also be combined...**


	16. A&A Chptrs 19 to 21

**I know. It's been a while. But I promised I wouldn't abandon it… **

**This update is for T. Seymour, who never let me forget this story…love ya!**

**I plan to update more periodically, so hopefully you'll have another longish chapter in the next couple of weeks.**

**Again, chapters have been combined. This covers chapters 19 to 21 of P&P.**

**Characters belong to S. Meyer. Basic storyline belongs to J. Austen. The rest is my craziness.**

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**A&A**

The next day opened a new scene in Forks with a relish. Jake had come to town with a purpose, and he intended to do it quickly, since he'd be leaving town in just a couple of days, and having no feelings of doubt to slow him down, he set about his goal in a very business-like manner. He found Bella and Renee at breakfast in the kitchen, along with Lauren.

Jake cleared his throat and assumed a confident grin.

"Renee, Lauren, would it be too much trouble to ask for a moment alone with Bella?"

Before Bella could do anything but blush with surprise, Renee was answering.

"Oh boy! Yes! Of course! I'm sure Bella would love to have a moment or two alone with you! Come on Lauren, let's go upstairs for a couple of hours." She pulled Lauren roughly by the hand and started dragging her upstairs.

"Mom, please! Don't go!" Bella begged Renee with a nervous laugh. "I'm sure Jake has nothing to say to me that can't be said in front of everyone. Besides," she added, standing up quickly from the table and trying to make her escape, "I was just on my way out myself."

"No, nonsense Bella," Renee insisted with an undisguised stern look in her daughter's direction, "I'd like you to stay where you are."

Bella hesitated, and then deciding it would probably be best to get it over with as soon as possible, she sat down again, nervously playing with her utensils and sipping her orange juice. Renee and Lauren left, and soon, Jake sat down across from Bella and began.

"Bella," he grinned widely, "believe me when I say that your little show of modesty, rather than discourage me, just makes me want you more."

Bella ground her teeth but decided to let him finish before she castrated him.

"I'm sure you saw this coming, however unaware you may have pretended to be. My attraction for you has been too obvious for you to have mistaken it. Almost from the moment I walked into this house I decided that you would be the one that I'd pick to be my girlfriend. But before we get to that, maybe it would be good to let you know how this situation would be mutually advantageous to the both of us."

The idea that Jake could possibly believe that being his girlfriend would in any way, shape or form be advantageous to her made her want to laugh so hard that it took all her effort to keep from exploding in his face, and she therefore lost her opportunity to use his short pause as a chance to stop him from making a further fool of himself. He continued:

"My reasons for finding a suitable girlfriend to partake in a monogamous relationship are that, first, I think it's important that a man in my position, as Senator DeVolturi's assistant, set a good example for everyone else in the Senate by settling down. Also, I'm convinced it'll add greatly to my happiness. And to yours too of course," he added quickly as an afterthought. "And third, which I may have mentioned earlier, Senator De Volturi has recommended to me that settling down into a monogamous relationship would greatly increase my respectability in the Senate circles. More than once she's given me her opinion on this subject. As a matter of fact, the night before I came to Forks, while she and I were alone in her office and she was sitting on her desk while I took notes for a speech she wanted to present to the Senate, she said to me out of the blue,

'_Jake, you have to find yourself a serious girlfriend. But make sure you choose properly. A quiet girl, for my sake. And for your sake, make sure she knows how to host a proper dinner party. Not a girl who's used to being spoiled, but someone who knows how to make a dollar go a long way. And as soon as you find such a girlfriend, I'll host a dinner for her here in Madison Park.'_

"Now I know that in of itself is enough of a temptation for you to be my girlfriend," he said with a self-satisfied grin. "But you'll also find that she's extremely interesting to be around, and I'm sure that your brains and energy will be acceptable to her too, especially if you learn to keep your opinions to yourself in her presence."

By this point Bella was simply too stunned to say anything.

"Now I know you're probably wondering why I'd come to Forks looking for a girlfriend instead of looking in Seattle, where there are many beautiful and eligible girls that would just love to be in your place right now. The truth is that I figured since your dad is already in deep debt with me, I thought I'd do him a favor and pick a girlfriend from one of his daughters and release him of his debt. It's a win-win situation, I assure you. And I'm sure you agree that it's extremely generous of me," he said solemnly. He clapped his hands in front of himself. "And now I suppose the only thing left to say my sweetness is that I am totally crazy for you. I realize you're not in a position to contribute much financially to this relationship, and I'm fine with that. I don't mind bringing home the bacon as long as you fry it up in the pan," he chuckled.

Bella had to speak up then.

"Hold up there Jakey," she said, putting her hand out, palm up, in front of him. "You're getting just a tad bit ahead of yourself there. You seem to forget that I haven't even given you an answer about being your girlfriend, much less frying up your bacon!" She shuddered at the thought. "So let me do us both a favor and stop wasting our mutual time. I'm…flattered," she said through gritted teeth, "that you've lowered yourself to find me worthy of your attention, but I simply do not feel the same towards you. So I've got to turn you down. Sorry."

Jake stared at her blankly for a few seconds before a slow smile crept up his mouth once more.

"You're still playing hard to get aren't you?" he asked with a dismissive wave of the hand. "I've heard girls like you like playing cat and mouse for a while before finally giving in. No worries. I can chase you a little longer if that's how you'd like to play it," he smiled salaciously.

Bella stiffened and felt her shackles rise.

"I assure you Jake," she said coolly, "that you'll only be chasing your own tail around. I am _not_ one of those girls that plays games. I mean what I say. You could never make me happy, and I'm sure I'm the last woman in the world who'd be able to do so for you. As a matter of fact, if your friend Senator De Volturi ever got to know me, I'm sure she'd think I was the worst candidate for your girlfriend."

"Don't even joke like that," said Jake, with an unusually sober expression. "But I honestly can't imagine that the Senator wouldn't approve of you. And you can be sure that the next time I see her I'll do nothing but sing your praises and let her know how modest you are."

"Thanks but no thanks," Bella answered. "I'm pretty sure I'm right. I wish you all happiness and riches Jake, really I do, and by turning you down I'm just doing what's in my power to make sure you get there. In offering me the position of your girlfriend you've satisfied any and all obligations you may have felt towards the situation with my father, and therefore can no longer feel guilty if we should happen to fall on hard times. Therefore the matter's settled." She rose as she spoke, getting ready to leave the room, but Jake wasn't done.

That infernal grin still in place, he said, "Well I sure hope that the next time you and I speak about this subject you give me a more favorable response! Though I'm not in the least bit discouraged, because as I said, I know girls like you like playing hard to get. And like I said, it just makes me want you more."

"Seriously Jake?" Bella said in a tone of disbelief. "I don't understand you at all. If all my words have done are encourage you further, then I have no idea how to tell you that I'm not interested in a way that'll convince you of that fact."

"It's just that I know what a great catch I am," Jake said, sitting back against his chair with an air of total confidence. "I'm definitely not below you in situation, and I have an impressive little home in Madrona. My position in the Senate circles, my connection to Ms. De Volturi, and my relationship to your own family make me irresistible to you, I'm sure. Besides," he shrugged, "yeah, you're pretty and all, but what makes you so sure anyone else'll be asking you on a date any time in the near future? Your…position in society is unfortunately so low that it may negate all your beauty and liveliness. Therefore I must conclude that you're not really serious in your rejection of me, and that you're just doing it to keep me on my toes, as girls tend to do."

"Let me make this as clear as I can for you Jake," Bella said, leaning into the table with a burning expression Jake was too blind to pick up on, "I don't pretend to be one of those girls that likes keeping men on their toes. I'd rather be thought of as a girl who is always sincere. I'll thank you one more time for the honor you believe you have given me in singling me out, but I cannot accept the role. I feel nothing for you. Do you want me to be clearer? Do not for one second think of me as a girl who is playing games, rather as a woman who speaks her mind clearly."

"You are so cute!" Jake laughed, "And I'm sure when your parents hear that I want you as my girlfriend they'll both be thrilled!"

Bella took a deep breath and let it out in one long gust, glaring at Jake. But she refused to continue such an inane conversation, and without another word stood up and left the room. If Jake insisted on believing her refusal to be just some sort of game, she'd go to Charlie and have him clear things up for Jake decisively. She was sure _his_ behavior and manner at least would definitely not be mistaken for girlish games and flirtation. And if worse came to worse, maybe he'd even kick his ass.

oooooooooo

Jake didn't have to wait long to share his happy news with someone. As soon as Renee saw Bella leave the room, she quickly stepped inside and congratulated Jake on a job well done. Jake was all smiles as he related the details of the event to Renee. But as Jake went on, Renee's smile slowly faded. Renee knew her daughter much better than Jake did, and she wasn't as convinced as Jake seemed to be that Bella was simply playing hard to get. She mentioned this to Jake.

"But don't worry Jake. I'll speak to Bella. She can be very headstrong and opinionated, but I'll make her see how silly she's being."

For the first time all morning, Jake frowned. "Renee, I beg your pardon, but if Bella is really that headstrong and opinionated, I'm not so sure I want to be dating her. If she's going to continue turning me down, maybe it's not such a good idea to keep pursuing her. I'm not sure that someone with her temper would make me at all happy."

Renee grew worried. "No, no, no Jake!" she smiled nervously. "I think you misunderstood me. Bella is only headstrong when it comes to matters like this. In everything else she's a sweet, quiet young girl. Let me speak to Charlie, and I'm sure that between the both of us we'll be able to settle her down!"

She didn't even give him time to reply, but went straight to Charlie, who was sitting in his barker lounger in the living room, watching the game.

"Charlie," she hissed quietly, so that no one could hear, "You need to do something about your daughter! Jake's asked her to be his girlfriend and she totally turned him down! She's being completely unreasonable and if you don't talk some sense into her Jake might change his mind and not want her anymore!"

Charlie turned his eyes away from the TV and fixed them on her blankly.

"What are you talking about now?"

"Of Jake and Bella!" Renee hissed under her breath. "Bella says she doesn't want Jake, and Jake's starting to think he may not want her!"

"And what do you want me to do about it? It seems like a hopeless situation."

"Speak to Bella yourself! Tell her that you insist she go out with Jake!"

Charlie stared at his wife evenly. "Tell her to get down here. I'll give her a piece of my mind."

Renee smiled and went to the stairs to call Bella down.

"Come here Bella," Charlie said when Bella came to stand at the threshold of the living room. "I've got something important to talk to you about. I understand that Jake wants you to be his girlfriend. Is this true?"

Bella nodded warily.

"Okay," Charlie answered. "And you've turned him down?"

"Yes, I did," Bella said clearly.

"Alright. Here's the gist of it. Your mom insists that you go out with him. Right Renee?"

"Yes, or I'll stop speaking to her," Renee said, crossing her arms in front of herself cantankerously.

Charlie sighed and shook his head. "You have a tough decision to make Bella. From this day on, you'll be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother won't speak to you if you turn Jake down," – he smiled impishly – "and I'll never speak to you again if you accept him."

Bella chuckled, but Renee was furious.

"Charlie, what the hell are you doing?" she yelled, no longer caring that her guest was in the other room. "You promised me you'd talk to her!"

"And I have," Charlie chuckled, turning his attention back to his TV. "Now I have two favors to ask. First, that you'll allow me to have my own opinion on the subject at hand, and second, that you'll move away from my TV now. The Mariners are up by two."

Renee glared at Charlie and stormed out of the room.

But she wasn't ready to give up, despite her husband's disappointing show. She bugged Bella over and over for the rest of the day, coaxed her; threatened her. She even tried to get Alice on her side, but Alice refused to interfere, while Bella refused to budge.

In the meantime, Jake took a walk around the block, pondering all that had occurred. He was too sure of himself to even entertain any possible reasons why Bella may have refused him; and though his pride was slightly bruised, he suffered in no other way. His feelings for Bella were completely imaginary, and if you asked him, Bella completely deserved her mother's reproach.

While the Swan household was in this uproar Leah came to hang out with them. As soon as she walked in, Jessica ran to her and whispered excitedly, "Leah, guess what's going on? Jake asked Bella to be his girlfriend and she turned him down flat!"

Leah had no time to answer before Lauren walked in to tell the same news, and no sooner had they entered the family room where Renee sat alone than she began on the same subject.

"Leah please, talk some sense into your friend!" Renee begged. "Nobody in this damn house is on my side. Nobody feels for me. I'm extremely underappreciated and nobody gives a hoot about my poor nerves!"

Leah was thankfully spared from having to respond by the entrance of Alice and Bella.

"Look, there she comes," Renee smirked, "looking all happy and carefree, without a care in the world," she taunted, waving an arm. "But I'll tell you what Mizz Bella," she sneered, "if you go around turning down every guy that shows any interest in you, you'll never get yourself married, and then who the hell is supposed to take care of you in the future?"

"Um, myself?" Bella responded dryly.

"Hmph!" Renee snorted. "Like I told you in front of your father, I'm done with you! I'm never speaking to you again! I don't speak to disobedient children. Not that I enjoy talking all that much in the first place, you know, 'cause of my nerves and all. Oh!" she bemoaned, pressing one hand to her forehead, "No one knows how much I suffer! But there you go, that's what happens when you never complain."

Her daughters and nieces listened to her in silence, knowing better than to interfere with Renee's ramblings when she got in one of these moods. She talked on and on therefore, until Jake himself suddenly walked in, looking more sullen than usual. As soon as Renee caught sight of him, she said to the girls,

"Now all of you get out of here and let Jake and I have a word together please!"

Bella didn't wait to be asked twice, and Alice and Lauren followed, but Jessica dug her feet in and refused to budge, and Leah, held back first by Jake who quickly greeted her and then sent his regards for her family, moved to the window slowly and then pretended to admire the landscape.

"Jake," Renee began ruefully, "I-"

"My dear Renee," Jake cut her off, "how 'bout we never speak of this again? I mean, who am I to judge the behavior of your daughter?" he said in a critical tone. "But I resign myself to accept your daughter's decision, especially since I begin to question how happy we would have been together anyway. I sincerely hope you're not offended by the withdrawal of my offer."

"But Jake-" Renee begged anxiously.

He put a hand up to silence her.

"All I wanted was to find a sweet willing girl for myself, and yeah, of course I saw the advantage this would give your family, but oh well, I tried my best," he shrugged.

Renee was left speechless, for once.

oooooooooo

The discussion of Jake's offer was now finally at an end. Bella was only left to have to deal with the uncomfortable feelings the whole incident left behind, and her mother's petty looks here and there. As for Jake himself, the total loss of his esteem towards her was not reflected by embarrassment or dejection, or by trying to avoid her, but by the cool and resentful attitude he gave her. He barely said a word to her afterwards, which was honestly just fine by Bella, and his attentions for the rest of his stay were transferred to Leah, who was kind enough to listen to him. Bella was more than relieved by all this.

Later that day the girls took a ride to Port Angeles, where they were all thrilled to meet up with Mike again. He joined them on their walk around town and then went with them to their Uncle's house, where he received everyone's regrets at having missed him at the Netherfield party. To Bella though, he gave a long explanation for his absence.

"I figured it would probably not be a good idea to be in the same room with Edward again. Being around him for so many hours would probably be more than I could bear, and things may have gotten out of hand."

Bella was extremely impressed by his maturity and restraint, and they enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the day. Mike even returned to Forks with them, and throughout the day it was towards Bella to whom he gave most of his attention. Bella was on top of the world, and she even introduced him to Charlie and Renee.

While they were all hanging out, Alice checked her iPhone and Bella saw her face fall as she read whatever was on the screen. Alice fixed her features quickly and put her phone away, trying to rejoin the conversation with her usual cheeriness. But Bella saw the change in Alice's attitude, and even all Mike's attention couldn't ease her mind. Until at last Mike had gone and she and Alice were alone. Alice pulled out her phone and stared at it.

"I received a few texts from Tanya. She basically says she and her family have all left Netherfield Estate and have gone to New York, and don't have any plans on returning to Forks. Here, let me read them to you."

**Al, we've left Neth. and on our way to NYC! Jazz had to go back for biz.**

**Al, the only thing I'll miss about that 2cent town is you. Hope to see you soon! Txt me!**

Bella rolled her eyes at the insincere tone of the messages, and though she was surprised by how quickly they'd left, she couldn't honestly say it upset her. Besides, just because they'd be gone from Netherfield wouldn't be reason to detain Jasper from seeing Alice. And as to the loss of Tanya and Irina's company, she was sure that Alice would get over it as soon as she saw Jasper again.

"It's too bad," Bella said after a short pause, "that you didn't get to see your friends before they left. But at least you can look forward to seeing them again eventually. And I'm sure Jasper won't be too long in New York before he comes back.

"But Tanya sent me another text clearly saying that _none_ of them will return to Forks any time in the near future. Look, I'll read it to you."

**Al, looks like Jazz's biz might take longer than we thought! And since he prob won't want to leave, we're all staying with him for the rest of the summer! All our friends are already here. Wish I could see you again, but oh well!**

"I think this makes it perfectly clear," said Alice, "that he won't be coming back this summer."

"It's only perfectly clear that Tanya doesn't want him to."

"Why would you say that? It would be his own doing. He is his own master, isn't he? But wait, there's more. Let me read you the text that really made me feel like crap. I won't keep it from you."

**Al, Edward's anxious to see his sis Rose again, and so are we! She's so cool in every way! Jazz totes has the hots for her! I told you that b4, right? :) We're going to hook them up!**

"What do you think of that Bella?" Alice asked sadly. "Doesn't that prove that Tanya has no expectations between me and her cousin? That she's sure Jasper has no feelings for me and that if she at all suspects that I have feelings for him, she wants to let me down easy? Can that text mean anything else?"

"Yes, it can," Bella answered indignantly. "Do you want to hear what I think?"

"Desperately."

"Alright. In very few words, here we go. Tanya's an evil, snotty bitch and sees that Jasper's in love with you, but she wants him to be with Rosalie Cullen so she can hang with New York's elite, so she followed him back to New York hoping to keep him there and convince you that he doesn't care about you."

Alice shook her head, unconvinced.

"Trust me Alice. No one who's seen you and Jasper together can doubt how much he cares about you unless they're deaf, mute _and_ blind. I'm sure Tanya knows it, she's not _that_ stupid. If she'd seen half as much love in Edward towards herself she would've ordered her wedding dress already. But the truth is," Bella said with a simple shrug, "we're not rich, or important, and Tanya thinks if she can get Jasper and Rosalie together it'll increase her chances of landing Edward, and I gotta give it to her, she might've had a good little plan going there if it wasn't for a certain Heidi DeVolturi in her way. But Alice, sweetie, you can't really believe that because Tanya tells you that Jasper has the hots for Rosalie he's any less in love with you than he was when he last saw you, or that she'll somehow be able to convince him that instead of being in love with you, he's in love with her friend Rosalie!"

"If we agreed on Tanya's personality," Alice replied, "your theory would make me feel a whole lot better. But I don't buy it Bella. Tanya wouldn't willfully deceive anyone, and the best that I can hope for is that she's somehow mistaken herself."

"Okay, fine," Bella smirked. "That's a good enough theory, since you won't believe mine. Give her the benefit of the doubt and believe her to be mistaken. You've done your duty as a good friend now, and can't feel guilty."

"But Bella," Alice moaned, throwing her head into her hands, "how am I supposed to feel, knowing that Jasper's closest friends and family don't want him with me?"

"Only you can decide that," Bella answered, "and after careful deliberation, if you find that the pain of displeasing his cousins would be worse than the happiness of being his girlfriend, than by all means, dump him," she finished with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Don't tease me Bella," Alice smiled faintly. "You know that even though it would upset me to disappoint them, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter."

"I didn't think you would," Bella agreed with a grin, "and that being the case I can't really take this entire situation too seriously."

"But if he doesn't return again at all this summer, I may not have a choice to make!" Alice wailed. "So many things can happen between now and the fall!"

Bella just couldn't accept the idea of Jasper not returning. It seemed to her more like Tanya's wishful hoping than an actual possibility and she couldn't imagine for a moment that regardless of how much Tanya may have hoped and planned it, Jasper would allow himself to be persuaded so.

She repeated to Alice what she felt on the subject and eventually was able to calm her down. And soon Alice was dreaming of Jasper's return to Netherfield again.

Alice and Bella both agreed however, that Renee should only be told that the Netherfield group had left, without letting her in on the specifics of Tanya's texts. But even this bit of information was enough to throw Renee into a tizzy, and she cried and moaned about how messed up it was that the group should have to leave just when they were all getting so close. But after whining and complaining about it at some length, she consoled herself with the thought that Jasper would soon return, and would have dinner with them in Forks, and even though she'd only offered to make fried pork chops, she figured she could fancy it up a bit more and roast a chicken.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Let me know that you're reading, and what you're thinking...**


	17. A&A Ch 22

**A/N: A short update below…**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot and storyline belong to J. Austen. I've just changed their names, moved them to the present, and transferred them to Forks.**

**A&A Ch. 22**

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The Swans soon had dinner with the Clearwaters, and Leah was kind enough to keep Jake entertained for most of the evening.

"Thanks so much," Bella thanked her friend afterwards, "for keeping Jake away for me. I really owe you one."

"Oh, don't think about it," Leah assured her with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I've got nothing better to do with my time anyway."

This was very nice of Leah, but little did Bella know that Leah's kindness had an ulterior motive, which was to save Bella from any more of Jake's advances, by securing them for herself.

In fact, the night had gone so well for Leah that she would've been almost assured of its success if it wasn't for the fact that Jake would be leaving Forks soon. But Leah hadn't counted on Jake's desperation, which led him to sneak out of the Swans' home the next morning and appear bright and early at the Clearwater home and throw himself at her feet. He had not wanted to be seen leaving by any of the Swan girls in case they figured out where he was headed, as he had no desire for anyone to know of his plans until he was assured of its success. Because even though he was almost sure of Leah's response – after all, she'd flirted shamelessly with him the night before – he was still feeling skittish after his disastrous encounter with Bella.

Turned out, he had nothing to worry about. Leah saw him coming from her bedroom window and accosted him at the door. Afterwards, the speech that had so horrified Bella was received with much more ardor by Leah.

In as short time as Jake's long ass speech would allow, everything was settled between them to a mutual satisfaction. As they entered the house Jake asked her to name the date when she'd like to come see his home in Madrona, and Leah quickly named a date.

Sue and Harry were quickly informed of Leah's new flame, and as it couldn't be denied that Jake was both handsome and financially well-off, there were no objections. Sue quickly began to calculate, with more interest than the matter had ever caused before, how much longer Charlie was likely to live. In short, everyone in the Clearwater family was pretty happy with the arrangement, though Seth's only joy was brought on from relief of knowing that Leah would probably not turn into an old maid that eventually he and his future wife would have to live with once his parents kicked the bucket.

Leah herself was quite satisfied with how things had worked out. Though yes, it was true that Jake was a bit…condescending at times, and that his love for her had resulted from nothing more than Bella's rejection of him, Leah actually liked Jake. And yes gosh darnit, she wanted to marry well. She, for one, had no intention of spending the rest of her life in Forks, and there was no denying the advantages to her career a political marriage would create.

The only point that troubled her in the whole scheme was Bella, whose friendship she valued more than that of any other person's. Though Leah was positive Bella felt absolutely nothing for Jake, it was still possible that her feelings would be hurt. She therefore decided to give her the news personally and made Jake promise that he wouldn't mention it. Jake, of course, promised, though he found it extremely difficult to keep the news to himself once he arrived back at the Swan home, and not throw his quite successful proposal in Bella's face.

Since he would be leaving Forks extremely early the next morning, Jake said his goodbyes to the Swan family that night.

"Jake, we certainly hope to see you again very soon," Renee said sadly, still feeling the loss of almost having him for a son-in-law.

"Ah, Renee," Jake grinned mischievously, "your invitation is certainly welcomed, since I'd been hoping to receive another quick invite."

Bella and Alice gave each other worried glances, and Charlie, who by no means wished for a speedy return by Jake, said,

"Are you sure that would be wise, considering how much I'm sure Senator De Volturi's missed your absence? It would probably be better for you to turn down our invitation than run the risk of upsetting your employer."

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," Jake snorted, clapping the police chief on the shoulder. Charlie gave Jake's hand a hard glare.

"I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, I would never take such a huge step without the Senator's approval."

"Well, you can't be too careful," Charlie grumbled. "Whatever you do, I'm sure you wouldn't want to displease her. And if you happen to feel that coming for another visit soon would upset her, which I think would be probable, don't concern yourself with our feelings and just _stay home_."

Jake looked at Charlie respectfully. "I'm deeply touched by your concern, Charlie, and believe me, I'll be sending you all a twenty-five dollar gift card to Bella Italia in Port Angeles to thank you for your hospitality." He turned to look at the girls. "As for you four beauties, though I'll probably be back really soon, let me just offer you all my wishes for health and happiness." He cleared his throat. "You too, Bella."

With as much composure as possible, the four girls said their good-byes, all equally perplexed by his promise of a quick return, though what Renee got from it was that he would probably return when Jessica or Lauren were a teeny bit older to attempt a courtship with one of them. An idea which did not displease her at all.

But by the next day, all Renee's hopes to someday have Jake as her son-in-law were dashed, for Leah paid the Swans an early visit, and there relayed first to Bella, the events of the previous day.

The possibility that Jake had the hots for Leah _had_ honestly crossed Bella's mind in the past day or two. What she'd never envisioned was Leah actually entertaining Jake's advances. Her surprise was so great, that at first she was unable to respond rationally.

"You and Jake in a serious relationship? Leah, have you lost your mind?"

"Why are you so surprised, Bella? Just because Jake wasn't good enough for you, do you honestly think he's not good enough for anyone?"

These words gave Bella pause for thought, enough time to collect herself and resign herself to the fact that Leah had a different set of priorities than she herself did.

"You're right, Leah. If you truly think you can be happy with Jake, than I wish you the best," she replied honestly, though her voice shook when she said it.

Leah smirked. "I can see right through you Bella, and you know that. I understand you must be extremely surprised, especially since it was only forty-eight hours ago that Jake asked you to be his girlfriend. But when you have time to think it over, I hope you'll understand, if not agree, with my point of view. I'm not the romantic type Bella, you know that. I don't wish for fairytales, or singing birds or butterflies in my stomach."

'…_butterflies in my stomach…'_ For a split second, Leah's words reminded Bella of the butterflies she herself had felt fluttering in her stomach just a few days ago, when she'd been dancing with Edward…

Bella shook her head to clear it and focus on Leah's words.

"All I've ever wanted has been a comfortable life, a guy that's not bad to look at and that can carry a halfway tolerable conversation, and considering Jake's position and connections, I think this relationship can make me really happy."

"I'm sure you're right," Bella answered quietly. And after an uncomfortable pause, they returned to the family room, where the news was shared with all and Renee had to physically restrain herself from choking the life out of Leah.

Leah didn't stay much longer, and afterwards Bella was left to reflect on their discussion. It was a long time before she was able to accept that her best friend had entered such a loveless relationship. Bella had always known that she and Leah differed greatly on their definition of a perfect relationship, but she'd never actually believed that, when the time actually came, Leah would sacrifice those 'butterflies in the stomach' for simple worldly advantage. The possibility of Leah marrying Jake was almost too ridiculous to entertain! And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.

* * *

**A/N: That last sentence is from P&P verbatim, because it is absolutely perfect the way it is. (Not that the entire P&P story isn't.)**

**Let me know your thoughts. Will try to update again soon…**


	18. Chapter 18 A&A Chs 23 to 25

**A/N: I've changed a bit of these chapters, just to shorten a couple of storylines a bit. Not because Ms. Austen's work wasn't perfect the way it is, but because since this is fanfiction and updates on this story come periodically instead of getting the whole book at once, I know we're anxious to get back to Edward and Bella. So while there are a few things we have to cover before then, I will be shortening or changing some parts where I feel it won't entirely damage the integrity of the story.**

**Emmett enters the story in this update! Woohoo Emmett!**

**That being said…**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot and storyline belong to J. Austen. I'm just playing in both their backyards.**

* * *

**A&A Chs. 23, 24 and 25**

After the news spread of Jake and Leah's new relationship, little could be done to calm Renee. Of a few things she was extremely positive: 1) Jake had somehow been taken in by Leah. Hypnosis, witchcraft, sex, take your pick; 2) Mark her words, they would _never_ be happy together; and 3) As long as there was no ring on Leah's finger, the whole mistake could be undone.

Two facts could not be denied by anyone though, in her unbiased opinion. 1) The whole thing was Bella's fault, and 2) Renee herself had been heartlessly abused and misused by everyone involved.

It was on these last two points that she dwelt for the next few days. No one could console her. Nothing could appease her. A week passed before she could look at Bella again. Two weeks passed before she could see Harry or Sue without saying something rude. And it took a hell of a lot longer before she could forgive their daughter.

Charlie's feeling on the whole matter, were much more composed. And whatever he did feel over it he pronounced to be most agreeable. Because it gratified him, he said, to see that Leah Clearwater, whom he'd always considered to be extremely level-headed, could be as silly and foolish as his wife and nieces!

Alice herself was a little surprised at the news, but of course, wished them both all happiness, and nothing Bella said could convince her to say anything negative about the match. Jessica and Lauren were anything but jealous of Leah. Jake may have been cute and all, but all his political mumbo jumbo greatly bored them, and the news was nothing more to them than gossip they could spread around town.

Sue Clearwater couldn't resist feeling a bit smug and triumphant over Renee, and she visited her friend more than usual to talk about how good it felt to know your daughter was on the verge of marrying well, and all of Renee's dirty looks weren't enough to drive away her happiness.

Bella and Leah though barely brought up the subject, and Bella was saddened to realize that it had somehow driven a wedge between them. Her undeniable disappointment in Leah made her turn even more towards her sister Alice, who she was confidently positive could never trade true love for materialistic gain. Unfortunately, with each day that passed without word from Jasper, both girls grew more and more anxious about his return.

Alice had sent Tanya a few emails, but hadn't heard back from her.

Jake had sent Charlie an email thanking them again for their hospitality, though the promised restaurant gift card never did arrive. He also mentioned he'd be in town again in two weeks, to spend some time with his beloved Leah, and would look forward to seeing them again then.

"Why should _we_ have to see him when he comes down to see Leah?" Renee complained to Charlie. "You know how I hate visitors," she added, "especially with my delicate health, and everyone knows how disgusting it is to look at two lovers kissing and making all sorts of goo goo eyes at each other," she finished with a disgusted snort.

Everyone in the Swan household sighed at Renee's continued complaints, and it only added to the anxiousness at Jasper's continued absence and silence. When rumors spread around Forks that Jasper wouldn't be returning to Forks at all, Renee's mood grew even more horrid.

Even Bella began to fear at that point – not that Jasper had forgotten Alice – but that his cousins would somehow be successful at keeping him away. As much as she didn't want to think of something that would so completely destroy Alice's happiness, and that would shed such a negative and ungentlemanly light on Jasper, she couldn't keep the thought from crossing her mind. The meddling efforts of his two cousins, combined with those of his arrogant friend, as well as his possible attraction to Rosalie, topped off by all the amusements in New York City, might prove to be too much.

As for Alice, her anxiety over the whole situation was of course, even worse than Bella's, but to minimize her pain, neither she nor Bella spoke of it.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of Renee.

Jake returned punctually two weeks later, and invited himself and Leah to dinner on the second night. His reception at the Swan home was not quite so gracious as it had been the first time around, but he barely noticed as he stuffed his face with roast chicken.

Renee glared at them murderously through the whole dinner, and every time Jake bent his head to Leah's ear to whisper sweet nothings, Renee was convinced that they were talking of the house and all the redecorating they would do if Charlie ever died or defaulted on his loan.

"It kills me to think that Leah would ever be mistress of this house!" Renee complained to Charlie once again. "That I should be forced to pack up my things and make way for her!"

"Renee, sweetie," Charlie said over his newspaper, "don't upset yourself with such gloomy thoughts. Instead, let's hope that I don't die anytime soon."

This was not enough consolation for Renee.

OOOOOOOOOO

When Tanya's email finally arrived in Alice's inbox, it put an end to any and all speculation.

**Alice honey, how are you? I know I haven't kept in touch very well, but we've been having so much fun! We've all decided to stay in New York for the rest of the summer. Jasper has asked me to apologize for not emailing you, but he's been busy with Rosalie and hasn't had a chance to write. Anyway, maybe someday we'll all see each other again!**

**TTYL! Bye!**

Hope, was officially over.

When Alice finally read the email to Bella, all the latter girl could do was listen in silent indignation. She wasn't sure which emotion ruled her more, sadness for her sister, or hatred for everyone else involved. That Jasper had really fallen in love with Alice, Bella still had no doubt. Yet as much as she'd always liked Jasper and admired his easygoing, laid back attitude, she couldn't help but resent these same traits for making it so easy for his more head-strong friends to convince him to sacrifice his own happiness for their own selfish reasons. What's more, had it only been his happiness involved, Bella would've been more inclined to let him play with it to his liking. But Alice's happiness was involved too, and Jasper _had_ to know that, didn't he?

Bella sighed. The fact was, whether Jasper's love for Alice had really died away, or whether he'd suppressed them to please his friends, whether he'd been aware of how much Alice loved him, or had honestly not realized it, though the answers to these questions would greatly determine her future opinion of Jasper Whitlock, they did not change one fundamental fact. Her sister's heart had been broken.

Renee, of course, was not informed of this email, and so for days on end, she continued to talk and talk about Jasper's return.

"I wish mom would just shut up already," Alice finally confided to Bella one evening. "She has no idea how much she hurts me by continually bringing up…Jasper. But I'll get over this," Alice said with brave conviction, lifting her little chin up high in the air. "It won't be long before I forget him, and then everything will be just like it was before."

Bella said nothing, but couldn't hide the flicker of doubt that crossed her face.

"What? You don't believe me?" Alice cried quietly. "Well you should. I'll always remember him as one of the nicest guys I've ever met, but that's all. It's not like we…slept together," she continued with a pained voice. "Thank God! I don't have that memory to try to erase! Some time, that's all I need, and I'll be fine. At least I can comfort myself with the fact that it was all just an error on my part, on miscalculating his feelings for me, and that the error has hurt no one else but me."

"Jesus Christ, Alice," Bella finally cried, exasperated. "Someone needs to come down and put a friggin' halo around your head, because you are just too damned nice. I don't even feel like I deserve to be your sister right now."

"I'm not that nice," Alice said forlornly, "and thank you, for loving me so much."

Bella threw her hands up. "Alright, that's it. You're killing me here. You insist on only seeing the best in everyone, and have a heart attack if I point out their shortcomings. Yet when I point out the best in you, you insist on putting yourself down! The more I see of this world, the more I come to believe of the non-dependability of people, of how little stock can be put in the appearance of someone having common sense. One such instance I won't mention right now, the other is Leah's new relationship."

"Bella, don't think that way," Alice reproached her. "What you call common sense may not be another person's definition of the word. You have to take into account the fact that Jake is, undeniably, in a pretty decent position in life, and that Leah has always valued security over romance. Just because you fail to see any good qualities in Jake, doesn't mean Charlotte fails to."

"Alright, alright," Bella admitted, rolling her eyes. "If it makes you happy, I'll try to see it that way. But only to make you happy, Alice honey," Bella assured her, "because if I were really to believe that Leah actually loves Jake, I think I'd think even worse of her than I do now. Let's be honest Alice. Jake may be good to look at, but he is an arrogant, conceited, pompous, chauvinistic fool, and you've got to admit that any woman who would ever consider marrying him has to be out of her mind. I know we're talking about Leah here, but the definition of common sense can't be changed just to defend her."

"I think you're being too hard on her," Alice insisted, "and I hope your mind will be changed by seeing them happy together. Anyway, enough about that. You mentioned another instance, and I'm not stupid enough not to know what you're referring to. But please, Bella, don't make things harder for me by blaming him for any of what's happened, or implying that your opinion of him has sunk so low. It's not good to think guys are always intentionally out to hurt us. A lot of the time we just let ourselves get carried away by our own feelings, and believe a little harmless flirting to be more than it really is."

"And that's exactly what men would have us believe."

"If they do it on purpose, then they're assholes," Alice agreed. "But I can't agree that guys are always out to hurt us."

"I'm not trying to say that Jasper purposely set out to hurt you, Alice," Bella clarified, "but even without setting out to purposely hurt someone, sometimes people still end up hurt. Chalk it up to thoughtlessness, lack of attention to other people's feelings, lack of will. All those can do the trick."

"And you think one of those was involved in this situation?"

"Yes. The last. But if I go on, I may end up saying what I really think of people you like. So stop me while you still can."

"You insist on thinking then, that his cousins had something to do with this?"

"Yes, in cahoots with Mr. Fancy-pants Cullen."

"I just don't buy it," Alice said, shaking her head. "Why would they try to turn him away from me? Wouldn't they want his happiness? And if he were in love with me, there's no way any other woman would be able to make him happy."

"First of all, your first assumption is all wrong. There're many things other than his happiness that they may want for him. For example, an increase in his wealth and position in society by dating someone with good connections, and lots of money."

"That they prefer Rosalie Cullen for him, I have no doubt," Alice concurred, "but this may be for better reasons than you're supposing. They've known her much longer than they've known me, it's only understandable they'd like her more. But regardless of their wishes, what does that have to do with Jasper's? If they truly believed he was in love with me, I don't think they would've tried to separate us. And if he'd really been in love with me, they couldn't have succeeded. By being so sure that Jasper was definitely in love with me, you paint a nasty picture of what really occurred, and hurt me more in the process."

Bella pursed her lips.

"Please, Bella," Alice pleaded, "don't make me feel worse by making me think so much nastiness was involved. I'm not ashamed of having been wrong about his feelings for me, or at least, it's less painful than thinking that he or his sisters really did intentionally hurt me. Let me make the best of the situation."

Bella drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The last thing she wanted was to cause her sister more pain, and therefore could not oppose Alice's wishes.

Jasper's name was therefore rarely mentioned between the two sisters for the rest of the summer.

The same could not be said of Renee.

"Oh when is Jasper finally going to return?" Renee asked every afternoon.

"Mom, Jasper's not coming back this summer," Bella would always tell her.

"But what about Alice? Doesn't he miss her?"

"Mom, it was just a summer fling. That's all," Bella would remind her through gritted teeth.

Renee would suck her own teeth. "I suppose you're right," she'd sigh. "Maybe he'll come up again next summer, while Alice is up for a visit."

And then she'd repeat the whole conversation again the next day.

Charlie treated the whole situation very differently.

"So, Bella," he said one day, when the two were alone in the living room, "I see Alice is nursing a broken heart. I congratulate her. Next to getting married or winning the lottery, it's good to have a broken heart every once in a while. It gives us something to think of, and makes us stand out among our friends. So, when do you think your turn will come? I hear there are plenty of young college guys roaming the streets of Port Angeles lately. How 'bout that guy, Newton? He seems pleasant enough, and quite capable of thoroughly breaking a lucky young lady's heart."

"Thanks dad, but a less pleasant guy would be enough for me. After all, we can't all be as lucky as Jane."

Charlie's eyes sparkled. "True," he agreed easily, "and isn't it a comfort to know that whenever that event should happen to you, you have a loving and understanding mother who will make the most of it."

As it turned out, Mike Newton's visits were extremely helpful in minimizing the gloom that the last few events had brought the Swan family. He came by very often, and to his previous good points was added that of being extremely candid and enlightening. The whole story he'd told Bella about Edward Cullen's shortcomings and unforgivable mistreatment was now known by the entire town of Forks, as well as half of Port Angeles, and everybody was proud to know that their existing dislike of Edward had come before they'd even known the whole story.

Alice was the only one who believed that there could possibly exist extenuating circumstances, unknown to the population of Forks and Port Angeles, that would explain Edward's treatment of Mike. Her personality would always look for the best in people.

But by everyone else, Edward Cullen was now widely believed to be an asshole.

OOOOOOOOOO

After a lazy summer of long visits to Leah, Jake was forced back into reality by the reconvening of the Senate in D.C., and as assistant to Senator DeVolturi, his visits to Leah would be further and far between. But he did not leave without extracting a promise from her that she'd come stay with him at his house in Madrona when next he could manage some days off. He therefore left Forks not quite happily, but with the knowledge that Leah would be joining him, without the constant presence of her family, in the near future, and said his goodbyes once more to the Clearwater and Swan families, again promising a forthcoming restaurant gift-card to the latter.

The last week of August, Renee had the pleasure of receiving her nephew, Emmett Jenks, for a short visit. Emmett was the son of Renee's brother, Jay, who was an attorney living in the Fremont section of Seattle. Emmett was currently in his first year of Medical school in New York City, and had come up so that he could accompany his cousin Alice back to New York, where they'd be rooming together while she attended FIT. Emmett was extremely laid-back and playful, and though he'd come from a broken home, having grown up with only his father, and in a very eclectic area of Seattle, he was also very well-spoken when the situation called for it, quite bright and undeniably good-looking. Tall, well-built, he'd graduated at the top of his class in pre-med, and was now once again at the top of his class at Cornell Medical School. He was hard-working, and spent summers and weekends as a waiter to help pay his rent and his way through medical school. Emmett was therefore a great favorite in the Swan home, and especially of his two eldest cousins, Alice and Bella.

The first part of Emmett's visit consisted of distributing New York City souvenirs to his family, which they all loved receiving, as well as describing his latest adventures living in the city that never slept. The second part consisted of listening to complaint after complaint from his aunt. She'd been used and abused all summer, first by Jacob Black, and then by Jasper Whitlock. Her two daughters had been practically at the altar with well-to-do men, and then nothing came of it.

"I don't blame Alice," Renee smirked, "because _she_ would've sealed the deal if she'd gotten the chance, but Bella," she sneered, "Oh Emmett, she could've probably been at the White House right now, meeting the President, if she'd played her cards right!"

Emmett listened to his aunt with an extremely amused twitch upon his lips. He glanced at his favorite cousin, Bella and gave her a playful wink. Bella simply rolled her eyes.

"And now every day I have to hear from Sue Clearwater about how in love Jake is with _her_ daughter!" Renee waxed on. "Those Clearwaters!" she spat. "All they care about is money and financial gain! It's true Emmett, I hate to talk bad about people. But what's true is true!"

"Aunt Renee, no one should have to put up with the hardships you deal with," Emmett answered his aunt solemnly. "You have truly earned yourself a place in heaven by your forbearance this summer alone."

Renee thanked her young nephew for _his_ understanding of her plight in life.

When left alone with Bella later on, he cracked up in fits.

"I love your mother," he chuckled. "She makes me so grateful my own mom wasn't around when I had to nurse a broken heart."

Bella smirked.

"But tell me more about this Jasper dude," Emmett asked his cousin. "Sounds like he was really a nice guy, but I've been in New York long enough to see how these rich dudes operate. They fall in love for a few weeks and then when the summer's over, so is the love."

"I suppose that knowledge would be as good a consolation as any, but it won't do for this situation."

"Why not?" Emmett asked with a frown.

"Because it _wasn't_ just a summer fling," Bella insisted. "Sometimes, nosy, good-for-nothing people get involved and convince a guy to forget about a girl he was crazy in love with just a few days before."

"The term 'crazy in love,' always bugs me out," Emmett laughed. "It's used both by people who only met each other half an hour ago as well as by those that have been together for years. Tell me the truth, how crazy do you really think this Jasper guy was about Al?"

"I've never seen a guy more taken," Bella said honestly. "He'd ignore everyone else and only pay attention to Alice when she was around. They only had eyes for each other every time they were together. I had to snap my fingers in front of his face a couple of times when I was trying to ask him something and he could do nothing but gaze at Alice. Could there be any more proof? Isn't being rude to everyone else in the presence of your loved one the very definition of crazy in love?"

Emmett shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. Some of us are real assholes," he snorted. "Poor Alice. And then with her being so forgiving all the time, it'll probably be even harder for her to get over." He sighed. "Well, hopefully a change of scenery and all the excitement and busyness of New York will help get her mind off of him. And not for nothing, getting her away from Aunt Renee can't hurt."

"I hope she's not worried about bumping into this guy Whitlock in New York, since he's supposedly spending the winter down there. I'm sure he and his friends have a place somewhere in the Upper East Side or something, while we'll be in Hell's Kitchen. _Totally_ different 'hoods," he laughed. "I doubt a guy like that'll be in our part of town unless he specifically comes to see her."

Bella snorted. "Yeah, that's highly unlikely, since he's now in the clutches of his friend, and Edward would _never_ allow him to venture into such a neighborhood. I'm sure Edward's heard of the area, but I doubt there's enough soap in the world that would leave him feeling clean if he ever stepped foot in it, and Jasper goes nowhere without his counsel."

"Well screw'em both then," Emmett sneered. "He better hope I don't get my hands on him." He frowned, punching the palm of his hand. "But isn't Al still friends with his cousin? What if she wants to come over for a visit?"

Bella shook her head doubtfully. "Tanya won't be going over, trust me."

"Is she hot, at least?" Emmett asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"If you like the tall, snotty, rakishly thin type."

Emmett shook his head that he didn't.

Emmett stayed almost a week, and the Swans did their best to keep him entertained. The young crowd of Forks and Port Angeles often came over, and with them, of course, Mike Newton.

Being Bella's older male cousin, Emmett felt it was his duty to take care of his little cousins, and therefore watched Bella and Mike's interactions with curiosity. After a while, it became pretty obvious that Bella and Mike definitely preferred each other's company to that of others, but it relieved him for some reason to see that Bella didn't actually appear to be in love. Though Mike appeared to be a cool guy, friendly, funny and easy-going, there was something about him that didn't sit well with Emmett, and he decided he'd mention it in passing to Bella before he left Forks.

There was one subject though, which Emmett and Mike talked for hours and hours about. Before beginning Cornell's medical school in NYC, Emmett had been pre-med up in Ithaca, New York, which happened to be where Mike grew up. Emmett was quite familiar with Pemberley Vineyards in Ithaca, and was therefore fascinated by all the inside information Mike was able to provide about them. When Mike brought up the subject of Edward Cullen himself however, owner of Pemberley Vineyards, and how he cheated Mike out of his rightful inheritance, Emmett listened with a frown.

First of all, he'd never liked men that gossiped. Made them look like silly old ladies.

"But back in Ithaca, Cullen's known as a pretty cool guy. A bit quiet, maybe somewhat stuck up, but people generally agree he's quite generous actually."

Mike curled his top lip up in a sneer. "It's all an act, Emmett buddy," Mike assured him. "Edward knows how to fool people real good." His eyes turned towards Bella, and a slow, appreciative grin spread across his face. "Thank God, our little Bella was too smart to be taken in by him and his friends."

Second of all, Emmett wasn't too keen on a guy he barely knew calling his little cousin '_our_ little Bella.'

Yes, he'd definitely have to have a little talk with Bella about this dude.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**This is where I always had a problem with Bingley/Jasper. If he really loved Jane/Alice, there should've been nothing Darcy/Edward or his sisters/cousins could have said to him (short of showing him indisputable proof that Jane/Alice was a hoochy and just out for his money) to convince him to stay away from her. I always found him to be a little fickle in that respect.**

**BTW, although Cornell University's main campus is in Ithaca, New York, their medical campus is in New York City.**


	19. Chapter 19 A&A Chapters 26 thru 31

**A/N: I know. It's been a while. But I promised I wouldn't abandon this story, and I won't. Updates should come quicker between now and Christmas, I'm hoping, but we shall see…**

**Quick Announcement: I'm writing an outtake to Indecent Proposal as a donation to the compilation that's being prepared for 'fandomfightshurricanesandy dot com.' There are great authors donating stories, for just a small donation from you guys to the Red Cross to help victims of the storm. It's a cause near and dear to my heart, since I live in the affected area. We had minimal damage, but I know plenty of families who weren't as lucky. Go to the website above for more info on how to donate and get your compilation. More info on my profile.**

* * *

**A&A Chapters 26 through 31**

Emmett's talk with Bella came punctually the next day, while they were out for an early morning run. He was honest with her about what he thought about Mike Newton, and said:

"You've always been very sensible, Bella, and I know you're not the type to fall in love just because you're being warned against it so I won't be afraid to be honest with you. Be careful, please. Newton doesn't strike me as the type of guy who knows what he wants right now, while _you_ do. _You_ have a plan, Bella, and it's a damn good one. It'll get you out of this godforsaken one horse town soon, so don't let yourself get involved with someone who would just mess with that plan. I've got nothing against Mike himself; he seems like an interesting dude and if he knew what the hell he wanted from life I'd say go for it. But _you_ were meant for more than this crap, Bella."

"Jeez, Em, that was quite a speech."

"I hope you take it seriously."

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll be careful, and I'll make sure Mike is too." Bella winked sideways at her cousin while they ran side by side. "He won't be falling in love with _me_ if I can help it."

"Bella, you're not taking this seriously."

Bella chuckled and stared at her feet guiltily. "I'm sorry, Emmett. Look, I promise I'll try. I'm not in love with Mike right now, you can be sure of that, though he is a great guy and really cute if you ask me, and if he happens to fall in love with me…but yeah, I see why that wouldn't be a good idea. That DAMNED Cullen! If he'd just given Mike his due inheritance we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, would we? Mike could've gone to medical school, his life would be on track and…" she sighed heavily, "But no, as it stands right now, I'd hate to disappoint you, though you can't deny that where there's true love, nothing can stand in its way, regardless of how nonsensical the relationship may be. So how can I promise to resist temptation if I am tempted? All that I can promise you right now, Emmett, is that I'm not in love, and I won't be in a hurry to get there. And when I'm in Mike's company, I _will_ be careful. That's all I can promise."

Emmett gave his cousin a sidelong smirk. "You can also try not to have him over so much. At least, try not to remind your mom to ask him to stay over for dinner."

"Like I did the other day, you mean," Bella smiled wryly. "Okay, I get it. But honestly, he isn't usually here that often. It's been mainly for you that he's been invited over so much this week, so that you could have another guy around instead of just us girls – and dad. But I promise, Emmett, I'll use my head when it comes to Mike. I hope that's enough to satisfy you."

Emmett grinned indulgently at his little cousin, and playfully swatted her over the head. "It is, you little minx. Come on, I'm starving now. Let's go and have you make me a nice, huge breakfast."

Jake returned to Forks not long after Emmett and Alice left for New York, but this time he stayed with the Clearwaters, much to Renee's relief. Jake and Leah's relationship was pretty much cemented by the engagement ring he'd given her, and Renee was resigned to accept, if not be happy, for the couple. Now that they were engaged, Leah would be moving to Seattle with Jake. In the middle of the week, Leah and Jake came over for dinner before leaving for Seattle. Afterwards Bella and Leah had some time alone together.

"We're going to see each other just as much as before you know, Bella, since I'll be living in Seattle and you'll be starting your classes again."

"Yeah, I know." Bella chuckled, "I'll drop in on you as much as I can."

"I was actually kind of hoping, " Leah said sheepishly, "that you'd come stay with me for a few days around the holidays. Maybe for Thanksgiving?"

"I don't know…" Bella trailed off.

"Come on, Bella," Leah insisted, "I need my best friend there to help me baste my first turkey," she grinned.

Bella bit her lip, and though she really couldn't think of anything worse than spending Thanksgiving with Jake, she couldn't let Leah down. "Sure, Leah, I'll come stay with you for Thanksgiving."

Leah's grin lit up her face. "Good. My parents and Seth will be coming down for the long weekend too, so we can all hang out together."

"Sounds wonderful," Bella smiled valiantly.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jake and Leah eventually left for Seattle and Bella began her senior year at the University. Once or twice a week, she and Leah would meet up for lunch or to just hang out for a while. Bella still couldn't get over Leah's choosing comfort over love though, and as much as she tried to feel for her friend what she had before, in her heart of hearts she couldn't help being disappointed for her, though Leah would always tell her of how much she was enjoying living in Seattle, in Madrona, and how helpful Senator De Volturi always was when she stopped by unannounced. And while Bella nodded at all her friends perceived happiness, she determined she'd have to wait for her Thanksgiving visit to get a real taste of it all for herself.

Now while Bella and Leah's relationship was still a bit strained, that was not the case between the two sisters. Alice and Bella called and kept in constant communication. Bella was relieved that Alice was living with Emmett, because though Alice tried her best to hide it, Bella could easily tell how much it hurt Alice that Jasper hadn't even tried to contact her once.

"He probably doesn't even know I'm here," Alice tried to justify one night, while on her cell phone with her sister.

"You told him your plans to go to F.I.T. when he was here over the summer."

"Maybe he thinks I changed my mind…" Alice trailed off. "I think…I think I'll stop by and pay Tanya and Irina a surprise visit tomorrow after classes. What do you think?"

Bella didn't think it was a good idea, but at the same time, she knew Alice wouldn't be able to rest easy until she did so.

"I think I wish I was there with you."

"I wish you were here with me too."

Unfortunately, when they spoke the following afternoon, Alice didn't have good news.

"I caught them just as they were on their way out. They said they had no idea I'd been in town this whole time, that they'd forgotten about my plans to attend F.I.T. I asked about Jasper, and they said they rarely see him; that he's usually out on the town with Edward. Rosalie was supposed to be having dinner with them, but we didn't get to talk much more since like I said, they'd been on their way out."

Bella had to restrain herself from uttering every curse in the book at this outcome, and though she didn't say it, so as not to hurt her sister any more, she was sure the sisters would _never_ tell their cousin Jasper about Alice's visit.

The weeks passed, and though entertained by her cousin, a few new friends, and classes, Alice just could not get Jasper Whitlock out of her mind. She happened to bump into Tanya once more one day, but Tanya had been so cool and aloof that Alice finally had to accept the fact that the woman had absolutely no desire to maintain their summer friendship. She wrote her sister a pretty sad text about it:

**I know you'd never say, 'I told you so,' to me, Bella, but I suppose you did tell me so. I still don't understand why she was so friendly with me back in Forks, but knowing me, if the same thing were to happen all over again, I would act exactly as I did the first time. You should've seen how quickly she wanted to leave that street corner when we bumped into each other! But don't worry, Bella, I don't plan to reach out to her anymore. I've learned my lesson. The only thing I can think of is that she wants to make sure her brother and I stay as far away as possible from each other, and I suppose you know the reason why. I get it now, though I still don't understand why she should be worried about he and I bumping into each other at all; I've been here for weeks and he hasn't even tried to get in contact with me, though he MUST know that I'm here. Tanya mentioned something about Jasper probably selling Netherfield, and I suppose that's for the best. **

**Say hi to Leah for me when you see her in a couple of weeks. Tell her I'll call her soon, but I've been so busy…**

**Have fun staying with them when you go. I'm sure Leah will do her best to make you comfortable. Miss you, sis.**

Though Alice's text upset Bella, at the same time she was glad Alice finally saw Tanya and the rest of them for what they were. As for Jasper, her respect for him had eroded so badly that at this point she wouldn't even _want_ Alice to meet up with him again. As punishment to him, she seriously hoped he _would_ someday marry Rosalie Cullen, since by Mike's account the girl was a real piece of work and would probably make Jasper realize all he'd given up in Alice.

Emmett also sent her a text later that day.

**Hey cuz, how are things going with that Newton dude? You haven't forgotten your promise, have you?**

**No, Emmett, I haven't forgotten. It might make you happy to know that Mike seems to be over his semi-infatuation with me, and is now dating some girl from his school. I've heard she's nice, as well as loaded. Can't really blame him for his change of mind though, can I? I, for one, will be off to New York in a few months anyway, and let's be honest; a well-to-do girl will help him reach his goals a lot quicker than I would. But don't worry, I can't really say I've been hurt by Mike's new love interest. Matter of fact, I've done a good job of comforting myself by telling myself that he must've been really sad to have to let **_**me**_** go. Honestly, I wish him the best.**

**Well, I can't say I'm sorry that his eyes have roamed elsewhere, though I hope you really weren't too disappointed,** Emmett responded.

****Chuckles** I didn't think you would be sorry. All this has convinced me, Emmett, that I've never really been in love, because had I been, had I felt that passion and electricity you supposedly feel when in love, I'm pretty sure I'd hate Mike's guts right now and wish him to the deepest pits of hell. But I don't. Jessica and Lauren were more hurt by Mike's abrupt departure from our every day lives than I was. But they're young and stupid and don't understand that relationships need more than attraction and love to flourish.**

It was an interesting observation on Bella's part. Unfortunately, she failed to realize that it was an observation that could've been made in Leah's case also.

OOOOOOOOOO

Summer faded away, and with the Fall the days grew cooler in Forks. With Alice gone and the only other female companionship in her home being her mother and two cousins, Bella found that she was actually looking forward to the long Thanksgiving weekend and the four days she'd be spending in Madrona with her friend. Even seeing Jake again didn't sound so bad.

Bella bumped into Mike at her uncle's McDonald's in Seattle, a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

"So I hear you'll be spending Turkey Day in Madrona," Mike said.

Bella nodded. "I'm visiting Leah."

"You know to expect a few unannounced visits and unsolicited advice from the Senator, right?" Mike teased with a raised brow.

"I've more or less deciphered that," Bella chuckled.

"Well, just hold your own. Don't let her bully you, and you should be just fine," he assured her.

Bella nodded again, watching Mike carefully. Despite their love affair, which died before it ever really even began, she held no grudge against Mike. They were both so alike in personality, and she was sure their opinions would continue to coincide, regardless of who he was ever in a relationship with. And as they said goodbye, Bella was convinced that she would always think of Mike as the perfect model of a great guy.

On the busiest travel day of the year, stuck in bumper to bumper, non-moving traffic, Bella texted her cousin Emmett. She was disappointed to learn that Alice _still_ hadn't gotten over her heartbreak, and at this point could only hope that with the holidays approaching, she'd soon be able to get Jasper off of her mind.

**I've got an idea for how to get Alice's mind on happier things, **Emmett texted**.**

**What is it?**

**Why don't you take a trip to New York over your Christmas break and stay with us for a couple of weeks?**

**Em, you know I can't afford that right now.**

**If you can manage your ticket here, I'll pay for your return ticket. It'll be my Christmas present to you. We can visit all the sights, Bella. New York State in the winter is beautiful.**

Bella bit her lip, her heart beating out a disjointed rhythm.

**Are you sure?**

**Hell yes! Come on. The three of us will have a friggin' blast!**

**Emmett, you've just made my holiday! We'll have a great time and get Alice out of this funk! What are boy problems in the face of all the wonders of New York City?**

So it was decided. Bella would be visiting New York City over her Christmas break.

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

The rest of the ride to Seattle didn't seem so bad after Bella's text convo with Emmett. She'd be seeing Alice soon and would help her forget Jasper.

Madrona was a pretty if somewhat slopey little neighborhood bounded by Lake Washington on the east. When she arrived at Jake's home, she was happy to see that it overlooked the lake and that Madrona Beach Park was just a hop, skip and a jump from the house. It would be a perfect spot for her morning jogs.

Leah and Jake were both waiting by the door, and Bella couldn't help but being extremely happy that she'd come after the greeting she received from Leah. From Jake she received exactly the pompous greeting she would've expected, as well as the overinflated pride at welcoming her to his 'humble' abode. When showing her through the admittedly pretty house, Bella noted how he demanded her full attention, as if showcasing for her all she'd missed out on by turning him down. And whenever he said something to embarrass himself, which was unfortunately pretty often, Bella noted how Leah would simply turn a deaf ear to it.

After displaying every inch of the house, Jake insisted on taking a walk down to the Park, which Bella didn't mind one bit. Once again, Jake was extremely helpful in pointing out practically every tree and shrub in the park and describing them all to the last leaf, and when they came upon a small clearing between a couple of trees that afforded a view of the Madison Park neighborhood not too far away, Jake was quick to point out the roof of Senator De Volturi's house, which was vaguely visible through the trees.

"Senator De Volturi invites us over for dinner at least twice a week, doesn't she, Leah?" Jake gushed.

"Yes, she does," Leah agreed.

"She's actually home for the Thanksgiving holiday, which leads to a surprise Leah and I have for you," Jake said with undisguised excitement, putting an arm around a stiff Leah. "We will actually be having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow at the Senator's home!"

It took Bella a few seconds to figure out that she was supposed to jump for joy at this bit of news.

"Oh. That's great!" she finally said, trying to work up the enthusiasm she knew was expected of her at this announcement.

OOOOOOOOOO

Thanksgiving morning, Bella woke up early and took advantage of the still sleeping household to sneak off to the pretty park on the waterfront that Jake had showed them the afternoon before. The park had a wooded hillside that sloped down to the grassy beach and swimming area, which was closed now for the season. But the jogging path along Lake Washington was absolutely perfect, and the morning's fog simply added to the picturesque feature of the park.

As Bella jogged through the park, headphones in ears, she thought through to that afternoon's upcoming dinner at Senator De Volturi's home. She couldn't honestly say she was looking forward to meeting the woman or her daughter, based on everything she'd heard about them, both from Mike and from Jake himself. What's more, her connection as aunt to Edward Cullen, a man she'd sworn to despise for eternity, made her acquaintance all the more undesirable. She was working up her courage to endure the upcoming dinner when out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something; a quick shadow, a tall, familiar figure, an unusual head of hair.

But when she looked up, there was no one there, just a huge tree with some meager sunlight shining over it.

Suddenly Edward's face popped into her mind, the way he'd looked at the Netherfield Ball, months ago; the wry grin, the sparkling eyes, strong arms around her waist, her arms around his strong shoulders. She felt that strange fluttering in her belly, the one she'd felt while dancing in his arms that night.

But determined to hate the man with her dying breath, she shook her head quickly and dispelled his image like the dreary fog just starting to lift around her, and picking up her legs and speed, forced her thoughts to something else.

OOOOOOOOOO

As Bella approached Jake and Leah's house, she saw Leah standing at the end of the driveway, speaking to someone in a long, black stretch limo. Bella slowed down. As she got closer, she could see through the limo's open windows a woman with a perfectly done up bun talking to Leah, as well as a younger woman sitting next to her, staring blankly out the window. The younger woman looked bored and expressionless, and not very healthy. Before she could reach them, the limo pulled off.

"Oh, Bella!" Leah cried when she looked up and saw Bella approaching. "You just missed the Senator and her daughter! They stopped by to make sure we weren't late for dinner this afternoon. They say they'll be serving promptly at two."

"The senator had to drive over here in her limo to tell us that? Hasn't the woman heard of phones? Or email?"

"The Senator has a habit of stopping by unexpectedly when she has something she needs to tell us."

"Mm." Bella pursed her lips. "Good to see our taxes are going to such good use. So the younger woman was her daughter, Heidi, then?"

"Yes."

"Mm," Bella remarked again. "She seemed like a bored and sullen type of girl. She should do nicely for a man like him."

"What are you talking about, Bella?"

"Nothing."

OOOOOOOOOO

Jake was in a nervous tizzy while his guests finished preparing themselves for Thanksgiving dinner at the Senator's house.

He knocked hurriedly on Bella's guest room door while she finished applying her mascara.

"Bella, don't worry so much about what to wear. I promise you, the Senator won't look down on you just because you aren't fancy enough."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Jake. I'll keep that in mind." She was wearing a pretty yet simple red belted, black a-line dress that Alice always told her made her look sexy yet elegant. She'd paired it with a pair of black leather knee-length boots. It would have to do for dinner with the Senator.

She heard Jake knocking on the other guest room doors with similar remarks.

They took the short drive over to the Senator's house, which took all of forty-five seconds and Bella pointed out that it would've been no more than a ten minute walk.

"But the Senator wanted us there at two p.m., sharp, and walking would've made us over five minutes late," Jake explained as if Bella's comment had been inane.

Bella looked down at her lap and rolled her eyes again.

As they approached the Senator's house, Jake made sure to point out all the fineries, the number of windows on the mansion, how long and circular the driveway was, what good wood the door was made out of, etc.

Bella noticed a few cars on the circular driveway. Her eyes narrowed when they fell upon a black Audi that looked somewhat familiar…

"Come on, Bella! Hurry up!" Jake called out, waving her up the stairs.

Bella sighed.

From the entrance hall, they followed the maid into a large sitting room where the Senator and her daughter Heidi awaited.

"Jacob, you're late," the Senator barked as soon as they were all shown in, without sparing anyone in the party a glance. "I said two on the dot and it is now two oh three."

"I'm so sorry, Senator," Jacob apologized profusely. "Our friend Bella seemed to be transfixed with the cars in the driveway."

"Hmm." The Senator pursed her lips and let her eyes rake over every one. She was a tall and distinguished looking woman, wearing an expensive looking, custom-tailored burgundy pant suit. Her hair was up in a tight and unforgiving bun, and she wore more than her fair share of make-up. As far as Bella could tell, she looked as if she'd once been rather pretty, but age and lack of smiling had taken its toll.

Jake made all the introductions, and from just the ninety seconds that she'd been in the Senator's presence, Bella could tell that everything that Mike had once said about the Senator was most certainly true.

After studying the Senator, Bella turned her eyes to the daughter standing next to her. She was not an ugly girl, but it was true that she was very sickly looking. Her skin was pale and she was extremely thin, but unlike her mother, she didn't appear to have that arrogant stance to her, rather she looked anxious and uncomfortable.

Bella was still studying Heidi when someone – male - cleared his voice, just a few feet from her. She instinctively turned towards the sound…

…and was startled to see none other than Edward Cullen, eyes intently on her, looking as physically perfect as ever.

"Bella." He gave her a lop-sided grin that for some reason made Bella's heart jump. She was too surprised to respond right away.

"Edward." She finally greeted him with obvious confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Senator De Volturi is my aunt. My cousin and I flew down to have Thanksgiving dinner with her and Heidi. And with you, it seems." His mouth seemed to twitch with something resembling humor.

Once again, Bella was too befuddled to respond. So instead, they simply held each other's gaze.

"Bella, is it?" someone next to Edward said. Bella blinked and noticed that there was another young guy standing next to Edward; tall, with dark hair and eyes and handsome - though she had to admit nowhere near as so as the bronze-haired man next to him.

"Yes."

The gentleman put his hand out to her, and Bella met it with her own.

"Hi. Edward seems to have forgotten his manners so I'll have to introduce myself. I'm Peter, Edward's cousin."

"Nice to meet you," Bella chuckled.

"_Very_ nice to meet you," Peter grinned appreciatively.

"Miss Swan," the Senator addressed her formally, "do you know my nephew, Edward?"

Bella found that she had to struggle to tear her eyes off of Edward. His gaze had her locked in.

"Uhm…yes, Senator." She forced her attention to the woman. "We met in Forks, where I live."

"Forks?" the Senator asked, seeming annoyed and perplexed all at once. "What in the world were you doing up in Forks, Edward?"

Like Bella, Edward seemed to struggle to turn his attention away from her and towards his aunt.

"I spent the summer there with Jasper, remember, aunt? I mentioned it to you."

"Oh, yes," the Senator nodded, looking between Edward and Bella warily. "You did _mention_ it."

OOOOOOOOOO

The dinner that was served was the fanciest Thanksgiving dinner that Bella could admit to ever having been a part of. The turkey was huge and looked like it belonged on the cover of one of those cooking magazines. Every holiday side imaginable made an appearance, and though she didn't know much about wine, it was pretty obvious by the taste that whatever vintage had been served was probably the best around.

All this Bella observed quietly, for two main reasons.

One: her friend Leah had turned into a total airhead in the presence of the Senator. She could honestly be accused of kissing as much senatorial ass as her soon-to-be-husband was doing.

Two: She'd been seated between Leah on her left, and Edward on her right, and was so ultra-physically aware of his presence that for some strange reason she was finding it hard to swallow her delicious food.

So while everyone oohed and ahhed over every little thing the Senator did and said, Bella simply tried to keep her utensils from falling out of her shaky hands.

It was her hate for him, that's what it was.

This is what she kept telling herself, and on the third try of attempting to convince herself of this fact, the gentleman on her right spoke up.

"So how have you been these past few months, Bella?"

Bella, who'd been about to stick a piece of turkey in her mouth just to give herself something to do, set her fork down and turned to him with a forced smile.

"I've been well, thanks. And you?"

"Not too bad," he answered, but there was something sardonic in his tone.

Bella nodded, and tried to turn her attention back to her turkey.

"And your family? I hope they're all well."

Bella set her fork down again.

"They're doing as well as can be expected, thank you."

"Good. That's good," Edward breathed.

They each turned back to their food. Bella chewed her moist turkey slowly, trying to savor every last morsel, but the question was on the tip of her tongue, and after two minutes, she couldn't hold it back any longer.

"My sister Alice has been in New York for the past couple of months. Have you happened to see her, by any chance?"

Now, Bella knew that he and Alice had never crossed paths while in New York City, but she simply wanted to see his reaction at the mention of New York and her sister; to see if his expression betrayed any knowledge of all that had occurred, or not occurred, between Alice and his friend.

It was Edward's turn to set down his utensils. He seemed to have a hard time swallowing before turning to her with an answer.

"No, I can't say I've had the pleasure. But New York City is a heavily populated place."

"Yes, so I've heard," Bella answered.

OOOOOOOOOO

Peter was a Lieutenant in the Army, on leave for the holiday. He was extremely friendly and charismatic and kept the entire group entertained once dinner had ended and they'd moved on to the living room. He'd been quick to take a seat next to Bella, and she couldn't help laughing and laughing at his stories. Being stationed in the Middle East, Bella was sure his heartbreaking stories must outnumber the humorous ones, but he seemed to have the sort of personality that could only look at the bright side. After a while, his conversation appeared to be only for her.

It was at this point that Bella noticed that the Senator's eyes kept turning her way, narrowing much the same way her other nephew's eyes kept turning her way too.

"What is it that you're talking about over there, Peter?" she demanded after a short while. "What are you telling Miss Swan? Let me hear the conversation."

"We're comparing our tastes in music," Peter replied to his aunt.

"Ah, music," the Senator nodded. "There is absolutely no one in this country with more appreciation of music than I. Had I ever learned to play an instrument, I would've been great at it. So would have Heidi, had her health permitted it."

"I'm afraid the type of music you're referring to, and the type Bella and I were talking about, are completely different," Peter grinned, a mischievous grin on his lips.

Bella tried not to laugh, even as she glanced at Edward and saw him scowling her way.

"Music is music," the Senator replied coolly. "Tell me, Edward, how is Rosalie doing at Juilliard?"

"She's doing very well," Edward responded with obvious pride.

"Of course she is," the Senator confirmed. "She _is_ related to me. We always excel at everything we try. Miss Swan, do you play any instruments?"

Bella startled at being addressed by the Senator. She'd been largely ignored by her throughout the evening.

"I play the piano a little."

"There's no such thing as playing _a little_. Do you play or don't you?"

"_I do_," Bella responded as tersely as the Senator had inquired.

The Senator eyes seemed to grow at being answered so shortly.

"Why don't you play for us now?" she asked. "Entertain us." It was a command more than a request.

Never having been one to back down when she knew she was being challenged, Bella sighed quietly and moved towards the piano at the end of the room. Peter followed her happily, moving a chair close to her.

She played well enough, and after listening to half a song, the Senator turned away from her and gave her attention back to her nephew. Peter and Bella shared an amused chuckle.

But it didn't take long for Edward to excuse himself as soon as his aunt turned to speak to someone else. Carefully he made his way towards Bella, like a man attracted by a siren. Before Bella knew it, he was standing right in front of the piano, staring at her.

Bella immediately understood what he was trying to do.

She looked up at him with a wry grin.

"Are you trying to frighten me, Edward, by stalking all the way over here just to hear me play? But I will _not_ be intimidated by you, regardless of how well _your_ sister does play. It takes a lot more than that to frighten me. As a matter of fact, all your presence does is make me try even harder."

Edward snorted and looked down, seeming almost shy. "I won't contradict any of your statements, Bella, because I know you can't really believe that I'm trying to make you nervous. Besides, I think I know you well enough by now to know that you have a tendency to say things you don't really believe."

Bella laughed heartily at this description of herself, and turned to the Lieutenant . "Your cousin will paint a not so flattering picture of me if I let him, and he'll warn you not to believe a word I say. It's really bad luck for me to meet up with someone who knows me so well at a party where I was attempting to pass myself off as something I'm not. It's not very gentlemanly of you, Edward, to mention everything you learned of me back at Forks, and not very wise of you either if I may say, because it may tempt me to retaliate by doing the same."

"I'm not afraid of you," Edward grinned.

"Oh please tell me what you have to say of him," Peter pleaded. "I would love to know how Edward behaves himself in front of strangers."

Bella stared at Edward, who simply gazed at her with a smile.

"Very well, then," Bella responded to Peter, though keeping her eyes on Edward. "I'll tell you, but I warn you to prepare yourself because it's not pretty." Edward's grin widened. "The first time I met Edward was at a dance in my hometown of Forks, and do you know what Edward did at this dance? Absolutely nothing! He only danced twice, even though the girls far outnumbered the guys and I can personally vouch that there were girls who wanted to dance but didn't have a partner. Are you going to try to deny it, Edward?"

"No," he shook his head. "But at the time, I didn't have the honor of knowing anyone present beyond those whom I'd arrived with."

"Oh yes, and we all know a party is the worst place in the world to meet people," Bella teased.

"I'll admit I may have been wrong not to try to…mingle a bit more. But I've never been the type of person who could just strike up a conversation with someone I've never met."

Bella forced her eyes back to Peter. "Should we ask him," she asked Peter, "why this is the case? Why a man with his background and presence and situation in life has such a hard time conversing with strangers?"

"I can answer that question without asking him," Peter volunteered happily. "It's because he doesn't try."

"I don't have the talent," Edward said quickly, "that I see some people possess, of easily talking to people they've never met before. I can't join in the conversation, or appear interested in the topic as I so often see other people do."

"My fingers don't move over this instrument as easily or fluidly as I see so many other people's fingers do. They're not as quick, and don't produce the same beautiful tone that others do. But that's no one's fault but my own, because I simply don't practice enough."

Edward smiled indulgently. "You're right, Bella. And you've obviously practiced your art much better than I have mine. No one who's ever been granted the privilege of hearing you play could ever find anything wanting in your performance."

Bella was so taken aback by this obvious compliment that her fingers stopped moving over the piano. For a few moments she wondered if he was taunting her. But then the Senator interrupted them, and anything she may have started thinking quickly faded away.

"What are the three of you talking about over there?"

Bella quickly began playing again. But now she did feel inexplicably nervous, and her hands shook, making her playing sound slightly shaky in return. The Senator stood and stalked over to them, standing next to Darcy while Bella continued to play.

"Miss Swan plays decently enough I suppose, but nowhere near as well as she would have had she had a decent instructor to teach her. Her taste in music also seems to be…lacking," she went on, as if Bella couldn't hear every word she was saying. "Now Heidi has excellent taste in music, and _she_ would've played the piano wonderfully had her health permitted it."

"I can't say how well Heidi would have played had she been…allowed," Edward answered solemnly, "but as for Bella's playing, _I_ am thoroughly enjoying every bit of it."

Out of her periphery, Bella could see the way his aunt turned her head towards Edward; she could practically feel the cold chill of her gaze. The whole incident left her confused, but one thing at least was clear. Tanya would be happy to know that she had about as much chance to be the future Mrs. Cullen as Heidi seemed to have.

OOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**I'll try to update soon…**


	20. Chapters 32 & 33

**A/N: Don't have much to say these days beyond Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses, so let's just get on with it, shall we?**

**Chapters 33 & 34**

**Characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. I'm just blending both worlds.**

* * *

The following morning, Bella once again went for a morning jog around the wooded path of Madrona Park. Jake and Leah had left at five in the morning to get a head start on their Black Friday shopping. They'd invited Bella, of course, but she'd quietly bowed out. Getting trampled on by hordes of people looking to save twenty bucks on the newest Xbox was not her idea of the perfect Thanksgiving weekend.

As she jogged on, her thoughts went to Alice, in New York. She wondered how she'd spent her first Thanksgiving away from her family. Bella was gladdened to know that she at least had Emmett with her, and knowing Emmett, he'd made the holiday as cheery as possible.

Lost in all these thoughts about Black Friday and her sister, Bella was startled when someone jogged up beside her, and even more so when she looked over and found no one other than Edward, dressed in a white t-shirt and shorts. Her head jerked back in surprise.

"Good morning, Bella." The greeting was spoken solemnly, perhaps even a bit uncomfortably.

"Good morning, Edward," she responded in the same solemn tone.

"I heard Jacob mention last night that you all would be going Black Friday shopping early this morning."

So Edward had been planning a nice, leisurely jog around _her_ track and now she'd messed it up for him, Bella though to herself.

"Jacob misspoke if he included me in his plans," she responded, eyes glued ahead of her lest she trip over some invisible object at this most inopportune moment. "I jogged around this track yesterday morning and I'll probably jog around it again tomorrow and Sunday mornings, until I head back to school," she added, so he'd know to find himself another track if he wanted to be alone.

Silence.

The early morning birds sang their curious songs.

"How is your family this morning?" Bella finally inquired, more to break the suffocating tenseness than out of any real concern.

"I suppose they're all well. I haven't seen any of them yet. My cousin Peter sleeps in when he's home from overseas."

"I suppose he would," Bella mused, her voice softening. Peter was the only one of Edward's relations she cared to hear about.

The period of silence stretched out even longer than the previous one.

Bella had to think of something to say. Her heart was racing with discomfort; she could feel beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, moisture building under her armpits. She could _not_ let Edward Cullen see her this way! It would just give him all the more to ridicule about her. Not that she cared what he thought of her either way. But still.

"Boy, you guys really left Forks pretty suddenly over the summer. Jasper must've been surprised when you all showed up in New York right behind him. How are they, by the way? Jasper and his cousins," she clarified.

"They're fine."

She realized – after another awkward silence – that this was about the only answer she'd receive. Gazing out at the fog rising over Lake Washington, she added,

"From what I hear Jasper has no plans to return to Forks or Netherfield Estate."

"I honestly don't know one way or the other, but either way, he probably won't spend much time there in the future. Jasper has a lot of friends and I know for a fact he enjoys socializing with them all."

Bella nodded absently. "Then he should think of ending his lease on Netherfield, that way someone who does plan to stay permanently may have a chance at leasing or buying it. But I suppose Jasper won't base his decision so much on what would be better for the neighborhood as much as what's best for him."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he were to give up the lease as soon as possible."

Bella made no answer out of fear that if she kept talking of his friend she'd end up saying something she'd really regret. And being that she'd begun every topic and had said more than enough to Edward for one morning, she decided she'd leave any other possible topics of conversation up to him if he so wished.

Edward took the hint. Within view of Jake's house, he began with,

"Jake's house seems very comfortable. From what my aunt tells me she helped him pick the designer for it."

"Yes, he may have mentioned that once or five times. I'm sure she could not have bestowed her advice on someone more grateful than Jake."

"Jake appears to be happy with his choice of a fiance'."

"Yes, I suppose he is. His friends and colleagues should be pleased to know that he's found one of the few sensible women who would ever pay him any mind. Leah is usually a pretty smart girl – though I'm not sure I'd consider agreeing to marry Jake to be one of the smartest decisions she's ever made, but she seems content with her decision. I guess if you look at it objectively, they make a good match."

"It must also be good for her to still be so close to home."

"Close to Forks, you mean? It's over a three hour drive," Bella snorted.

"Three hours isn't much, especially when it's all mostly highways. Yes, I'd call it a very short distance."

"Well, I would've never considered the _fairly_ _short_ distance to be one of the advantages of their relationship. I would've never said, _'oh, well, at least she's close to her family,'"_ Bella exclaimed in an obviously sarcastic tone.

"That just proves your own love of Forks. Anything beyond a half-hour car ride would seem far to you, I suppose."

Bella knew he was mocking her again; mocking the small town she came from; insinuating that she had a small-town mentality. That she couldn't think or see beyond Forks.

'I don't mean that a woman needs to be living near her family. On the contrary, what's far from family for one may be not far enough for another. It depends on the circumstances. And I suppose when you can travel around the world at your whim and have no real responsibilities, distance becomes inconsequential. But as for my friend Leah, I know her well enough to know that she won't be able to play the stay-at-home Stepford wife for long, and then she'll be craving her friends and family, in which case, a three hour drive each way _will_ seem too long."

Edward was suddenly so close to her; close enough that there forearms touched every few seconds as they jogged on. He leaned in even closer and said,

"It's a shame that you'll have to get used to being all the way across the country from _your_ family when _you_ finally settle down."

Bella stopped jogging.

"I just meant," Edward blurted, his face suddenly red from all the exertion, "because you'll be going to grad school in New York soon. I'm pretty sure I heard that mentioned by someone while in Forks."

"Just because I'll be going to school in New York doesn't mean I'll settle down there. And just because I'm from Forks doesn't mean I'll end up there, either. I'm a young, carefree, woman, and though I may not be filthy rich, like some, the world is my oyster, as they say. I can do whatever I want."

"I'm sure you can, Bella." Edward's voice was suddenly so low, and though Bella searched his green eyes, looking for the insincerity in them, they looked open and earnest. A shudder ran up her spine.

"Are you cold" he enquired.

She shuddered again. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I am."

Jake and Leah pulled up in their car, and Bella realized that she and Edward had jogged all the way back to Jake's house.

"Hey, Edward!" Jake called out, stepping out of the car with boxes and boxes of items piled onto his arms. "I just bought an Xbox! Want to come kill some zombies?"

Edward answered thanks, but perhaps another time, and without another word jogged off in the opposite direction.

OOOOOOOOOO

Leah teased Bella for the remainder of the day, after having spotted her and Edward jogging together.

"I think Edward is in love with you!" she called out in the way that silly preteens tend to do. They were cleaning up after dinner.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"I doubt that highly. He looked pissed off to find me jogging on the trail, and then it was like pulling teeth to get him to say one word to clear up the tension! He probably just wanted to get away from his aunt and lovely bride-to-be," Bella snickered.

OOOOOOOOOO

It seemed like a likely explanation, except that later that afternoon, both Edward and Peter dropped by Jake's house. Now while Peter talked and laughed and joked around with everyone easily for hours, Edward seemed to just sit there, barely saying more than two words unless asked a direct questions. And though from what Bella gathered from the stories Peter told, the two cousins were very close, Edward appeared to scowl Peter's way for most of the night, especially whenever he came near Bella. Bella could only suppose that he wanted to make sure that Peter didn't associate too much with someone of Bella's lower social standing. Why Edward had bothered coming at all, Bella could not comprehend.

OOOOOOOOOO

It seemed like either bad luck or purposeful spite the next morning when Bella met up with Edward again on her jogging trail, despite her having warned him the morning before that she'd be there the next morning! He honestly seemed to be punishing not just her, but himself, because not only was it another awkward, tense greeting where afterwards each could have gone on their merry way, but he actually seemed to think that he was obligated to stick with her throughout the whole five-mile run; he sped up when she sped up, slowed when she slowed, turned into the woods when she turned! Throughout the entire run, conversation was difficult and stunted at best. And the questions and comments he _did_ make were strange and unconnected. He asked how she was enjoying the neighborhood, he commented on her love of jogging, he asked her opinion on Jake and Leah's probability for happiness, he enquired on her opinion of large houses.

"I suppose there's something to be said for them - extra space and all that," Bella conceded dryly. "Though forgive me, but your aunt's house feels more like a museum than a home to me. It's very…cold and impersonal. I'd get lost in a house like that."

Edward snorted. "Don't worry. Next time you come and stay there, I'll give you a tour of all the rooms so that you don't get lost."

It was comments like that one that made absolutely no sense to Bella. Why in the world would she _ever_ stay at the Senator's house? It wasn't like she was her family or anything.

Saturday evening, the two gentlemen stopped by Jake's house again, and the night was spent in basically the same manner as the previous one: Peter laughing and joking with Bella, Edward scowling their way. Upon their departure, they conveyed their aunt's invitation to come to her house tomorrow for a late brunch. It would be the end of the holiday weekend, and the Senator planned to close it down with grandeur.

OOOOOOOOOO

Sunday morning, Bella was enjoying her last jog around Lake Washington when her cell phone vibrated. She stopped to answer a text from Alice. They'd been texting until very late last evening. Bella could tell by the tone of the texts that Alice was still down in the dumps over Jasper. So Bella was texting away furiously when she heard a sound and drawing in a deep breath, prepared herself for the sight of Edward. When she looked up, she was surprised to see that it wasn't Edward, but Peter headed her way.

Bella finished up her text quickly and put her phone away. "I didn't know you jogged this trail."

"Oh, Edward and I always jog this trail when we're visiting our aunt, but this year I figured I'd give my cousin some…space."

Bella furrowed her brows and picked up her jog again. Peter stepped in beside her.

"Space for what?"

Peter kept his gaze straight ahead. A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't respond.

"So you're going back to school tomorrow morning?" Peter asked instead.

Bella nodded. "I'll go straight to class from here. Probably stop by my dorm first to drop off some stuff. And you? When are you deploying again?"

"I'm on leave for another week, and then I have to get back. But Edward and I will probably also leave Seattle tomorrow. At least I think we will. I'm not sure. I leave all those plans up to him."

"Ah, yes. Edward is always the one in control, isn't he?"

"He likes to be in control, yes," Peter laughed, "I won't deny that. But don't we all? He just happens to have the means to be in control – most of the time, that is." Again, there was a slight twitch of Peter's lips, as if he were in the middle of some internal joke. "I speak as a military man, of course. In the military, we're not always the ones in control."

Bella smiled at him kindly.

"If that's true, then I suppose traveling with Edward wouldn't be such a hardship for you," she teased softly.

Peter chuckled. "Edward's a good guy, Bella. A bit stiff with those he doesn't know too well, but he's got a good heart underneath it all."

Bella didn't want to argue with a man who'd done so much for his country, so she didn't try to contradict him.

"And what about his sister, Rosalie, what's she like?"

"Why? What have you heard about her?" Peter asked abruptly, the mirth in his eyes suddenly gone.

"Nothing bad," Bella shook her head. "As a matter of fact, from what I've heard she's got to be one of the most talented women in the world! At least that's what Tanya and Irina believe. I think I heard you say that you know them?"

"Ah yes, Irina and her _wonderful_ sister, Tanya. Cousins of Edward's good friend, Jasper."

Bella snickered. "So you _have_ met them. And yes, Jasper is apparently a very good friend of Edward's. Edward seems to take very good care of Jasper.

"He does, actually," Peter snorted. "From what I've heard, Jasper's a good guy, but tends to need some guidance from time to time, especially in the ladies department. He's a bit naïve, from what Edward tells me; easily taken in by a pretty face and a greedy grin. As a matter of fact, from something Edward told me the other day, I think Jasper probably owes Edward big-time for getting him out of a sticky situation." All of a sudden, Peter shook his head vehemently. "You know what? Never mind. I've got no reason to think that it was Jasper that Edward was talking about. It could've been anyone."

"What _are_ you talking about?" Bella asked; forehead crinkled in confusion.

"I'm not sure I should talk about it at all. Edward probably wouldn't want it getting around because if it were to get back to the young lady, I'm sure she'd raise hell."

"I won't say anything."

Peter smirked sideways, but with a deep breath, plunged into the story.

"Alright, but remember that I don't really have any basis to suppose that it's Jasper we're talking about. I don't really know the guy too well myself. Edward just happened to mention that he was satisfied with the job he'd done at keeping a friend of his from getting too deeply involved with the wrong kind of girl, but he didn't mention any names or circumstances. I only suspected it was Jasper because like I said, he seems to be the type of guy who'd be taken in by a pretty face, and because I know that they spent last summer together."

"Did Edward happen to mention why he believed his friend needed to be helped out?"

"Apparently the girl was all kinds of wrong for Jasper."

"And how exactly did Edward convince his friend to stay away from this girl?"

"Now, that I don't know," Peter smiled. "I only know what I just told you."

Bella said nothing. She simply jogged on, blood boiling in her veins.

After a short while with no speaking, Peter turned to her. "Why are you suddenly so quiet, Bella?"

Bella bit her lip. "I've just been thinking of what you told me. I don't think I agree with what Edward did. Who was he to be the judge of what the girl actually felt?"

"You think his interference was intrusive?"

"I don't see what right Edward had to judge how wrong or right his friend's relationship may have been, or for him to decide based on his judgment alone, what would or would not make his friend happy. But," Bella backed up, recognizing how heated her tone was getting, "since we really don't have any of the details, I suppose we can't in turn judge him. In any case, his friend couldn't have been that interested in the girl."

"That's probably true," Pete said, "but if it is, it simply lessens the importance of the role Edward played in it all.

Peter was joking, but Edward's overinflated superiority complex was so obviously the goal in it all that Bella couldn't trust herself to answer, so she changed the subject until their run was over, and then went straight to her guest room to think.

It was so very obvious that they had been discussing Jasper and Alice, of course. After all, what other man could Edward have so much absolute influence over? That Edward had played a part in separating Alice and Jasper she'd never doubted, but she'd always blamed Tanya for being the main villain in all that.

But no, now he was congratulating himself, _bragging_ even, of all that he'd been able to do to separate Jasper and Alice, of all that he'd done to cause Alice's heartache, of all he'd done to make her _suffer_! _He'd_ been to blame for her broken heart, for ruining the happiness of the sweetest, most generous girl in the world!

'Apparently the girl was all kinds of wrong for Jasper,' Peter had said. Yeah, Bella snorted, and by all wrong Edward had probably meant that she wasn't blue-blooded enough to fit into their uptown world.

The objection couldn't have been towards Alice herself. Alice was by all accounts, beautiful, sweet, kind and smart. Okay, so their family left something to be desired, especially their mother, but Bella was decided; it was Edward's arrogance and disrespect for anyone who didn't come from his high class world that had been the main cause of everything. Probably his desire to see Jasper with his own sister, Rosalie, had much to do with it, too.

The fury and tears that this revelation caused brought on a migraine the likes of which Bella had never experienced. She knew she had to leave; she couldn't spend one more hour within twenty miles of Edward Cullen. And so she told Leah that she wasn't feeling well, and that she'd be leaving for her dorm right away. Jake reminded her of their invitation over to the Senator's house for brunch, to which Bella responded by turning around and slamming the guest door in Jake's face.

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**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Uh oh. The crap's going to hit the wall now!**

**Will see you before Christmas with the chapter you've all been waiting for.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Go to my profile for the link to 'Stories by PattyRose' on facebook. Also, there's some interesting info on my profile on how you can donate to victims of Hurricane Sandy AND get an outtake to Indecent Proposal at the same time! A win-win situation!**


	21. Chapter 21 P&P Ch 34

**A/N: Here we go guys! Enjoy!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot belongs to J. Austen. I'm just combining both worlds.**

**Just to clear something up, the chapter number(s) below refer to the P&P chapter(s) that correspond to the update. So while this is Ch. 21 of A&A, it corresponds to Ch. 34 of P&P. Let me know if you have any questions. **

**A&A Ch. 21 (P&P Ch. 34)**

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After Leah and Jake left for Senator De Volturi's house, Bella sat on the edge of her bed and pulled out her phone, scanning through every single text she and Alice had exchanged in the past few weeks. Alice never actually complained of a broken heart; she never claimed to be sad or suffering, but it was subtly there, in between the lines. Gone was the cheerful Alice that Bella had grown up with, the teasing, self-assured girl that she'd always looked up to. In every sentence that Alice wrote, Bella could clearly find heartache.

And Edward had bragged about it! He'd boasted to his cousin Peter about what he'd done to cause Alice's current pain!

Bella quickly started packing, anxious to be far away from Edward. It was a small consolation that she'd never have to actually see him again, as was the fact that she'd be with Alice in a few short weeks, for the Christmas holiday, and would do her best to get Alice over her melancholy.

She threw the few things she'd brought with her into her duffle bag, and then quickly opened the guest room door to get her things from the bathroom-

-and was met with none other than Edward himself, hand extended upward, about to knock on her bedroom door.

Bella gasped in surprise, eyes growing wide. Edward looked down at her with equal surprise, though he _was_ standing in front of her bedroom door. And despite her growing fury, she couldn't help but notice how darn handsome he looked in his expensive crisp blue polo and tan khakis, his hair in a wild yet perfect disarray.

For ten seconds, they both simply stood there, chests heaving.

"Leah said you weren't feeling well," he finally uttered - quickly, as if he'd realized how long he'd been standing there without speaking. "I wanted to make sure you were okay, to see if you needed…anything."

Bella pressed her lips together, trying with all her might to rein her anger in. Deciding she simply wanted to get away from him as soon as possible rather than start an argument, she walked right past him and went to gather her things from the bathroom.

"I'm fine," she snapped as she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste, ignoring the heat of his proximity as she walked past him once again to throw it all into her bag.

"Are…you leaving?"

"Yes."

"I thought you were staying until tomorrow morning?"

She didn't answer. Instead she scanned the room for anything she may have forgotten, all the while acutely aware of his green eyes on her.

Edward said nothing as he watched her. Out of her periphery, she saw him rake a hand through his hair before fisting it tightly between his fingers. He drew in a couple of heavy breaths, exhaling loudly. And though part of her was intrigued by his curious actions, a bigger part simply needed to get out of there because the tension multiplied with every second that transpired. With her own deep breath, she picked up her duffle and swung it over her shoulder.

"Bella, wait."

With a heavy sigh and against her better judgment, she stopped and let her eyes meet his. And with one final deep breath, Edward moved in closer and came to a stop just a couple of inches away from her. Again, Bella tried to ignore the heat of his proximity, the way it always made her tingle.

"I've fought like hell against this," Edward muttered roughly, appearing to speak more to himself than to her as he stared at the floor between them and shook his head. "But it's no use. No matter how hard I've tried, these feelings refuse to disappear. I've got to tell you…" – here he looked up and met Bella's confused gaze - "…I've got to tell you how unbelievably crazy I am about you."

Bella's jaw dropped. The duffle bag fell from her shoulder and thumped onto the floor. Eyes huge, she stood there dumbfounded, sure she'd misunderstood and unable to make one. single. solitary. sound.

Edward took this reaction as encouragement to continue. And continue he did...

"Yes, Bella. Yes. I'm in love with you. I have been for a while now, despite my better judgment, despite the fact that we're from two completely different worlds. These past few months have been a nightmare, trying to deny these ridiculous feelings, but it's been impossible."

Bella simply stared at him.

"I know," Edward chuckled humorlessly. "I know how crazy it sounds, believe me, I know. If my family knew…If my friends new, they would _never_ understand." He drew in a deep breath, and grinned, actually _grinned; _but it was a smug grin. "Nevertheless, I've decided to put all that aside, to deal with the talk and the ridicule because…well, because I love you, and I want you. I want you to be mine and I hope" - he shrugged _almost_ sheepishly, but the smug grin was still in place – "that you want me, too."

To say that Bella was bewildered would be a gross understatement. Her head spun in a dozen different directions. In spite of her deep dislike for the man, she wasn't so foolish as to fail to grasp how huge this was; that this man, nephew of a senator, heir to some vague English title, to a huge, successful business, was claiming to be in love with her. And at first, she actually felt sorry for the pain she would be causing him, but as his speech wore on, all her pity faded away until nothing but a cold fury filled her heart. Still, she tried to compose herself so that she could express herself clearly, calmly and reasonably because she could see from his superior expression that though he spoke of _hope_, in his mind it was all already decided. He wanted her, therefore she _would_ be his.

Bella had never been so enraged in her entire life. She swallowed thickly, but despite her best efforts she could not keep her voice from shaking with animosity.

"I believe, in cases such as this, that it's common to express some sort of…appreciation for the feelings that have been expressed, regardless of how unequally they may be returned. I suppose it's natural to appreciate these sorts of feelings, and if I could _be_ appreciative, I'd thank you, at the very least. But I _don't_ appreciate them - _not at all_. I have _never_ wanted you to like me, and you've certainly done so under great duress. Still, I don't enjoy causing anyone pain, and if I've caused you any it was certainly done unintentionally and I honestly hope it doesn't last long. But don't worry; I'm sure any pangs of distress will be overcome quickly once you recall all those reasons you mentioned for why you struggled against your feelings in the first place."

Edward, who'd been standing close to Bella, took in her speech with no less bewilderment than she'd taken in his. His face contorted with astonishment and he staggered backwards a couple of steps, bumping up against the door frame. As Bella spoke, his expression slowly morphed from shock to offense to full out indignation. All color drained from his face, and the turmoil racking his mind clouded his every feature. He struggled to compose himself; jaw clenched tight, lips set firmly together. Bella had never felt as uncomfortable in her entire life as she did in that moment.

Finally, with apparent forced calmness, Edward spoke.

"So this is the response with which I'll be honored," he sneered. "Common courtesy would dictate that you'd at least fill me in on _why_ you're so succinctly turning me down, but I guess common courtesy it too much to ask from you."

"Oh, yes. Because you were the goddamned picture of politeness," Bella yelled, hands on hips, "when you decided to tell me that you loved me _despite_ your better judgment, _despite_ all your inner struggles against it, and _despite_ the superior world you come from! Wasn't that enough reason for me to be rude if I _was_ rude? But I have other reasons, you know I do! If I hadn't already disliked you, if I'd been indecisive about you, or even supposing I _had_ liked you, do you really think _anything_ you could've said would've _ever_ convinced me to give you a chance when _YOU_ are the one responsible for ruining, possibly _forever_, the happiness of my own sister?"

As she spoke, Edward's color went from pale white to blood red. But whatever he was feeling was kept to himself while he listened without interruption.

"I have every reason in the world to hate you!" Bella went on, the dam completely broken now. "Nothing you say can excuse the guilty part you played in that and don't you dare try to deny that YOU are the main cause for breaking Alice and Jasper up, if not the ONLY cause! You made one of them look like a spineless asshole, while destroying all hopes of happiness for the other, _and_ broke _both_ their hearts in the process!"

Despite everything, she paused to give him a chance to respond, but her umbrage simply multiplied at the unfeeling, remorseless look in his eyes.

"Well? Aren't you even going to try to deny that you broke them up?" she hollered.

With a calm, even expression, Edward replied, "No, I won't try to deny anything of the sort. Yes, I did everything I could to separate Jasper from your sister, and yes, I'm glad I succeeded. I suppose I took better care of _him_ than I did of _myself_."

Bella had to physically restrain her hands from reaching out and slapping the smirk off of his face. And though she realized what he'd meant by that last sentence, she was too furious to give a damn.

"But that's not the only reason I can't stand you," Bella spat scornfully. "Long before any of that even happened, I'd already formed my opinion of you! Mike Newton filled me in quite a while ago on the type of man you really are! So what do you have to say about that?" she challenged. "How can you twist _that_ story around to make yourself sound like an upstanding, caring _friend_?"

Edward's nostrils flared at this, his forced composure threatened to crack at the seams. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them again, but Bella held her ground, looking up at him defiantly. His voice was laced with a hard edge when he answered.

"You're always so damned concerned when it comes to _Mike_," he hissed, eyes darkening.

"Who that know of all he's gone through because of _you _wouldn't be?"

"All that he's gone through," Edward repeated with a contemptuous grin. "Yes, he's gone through a lot, that's for damned sure!"

"And all because of you!" Bella flung at him. "Because of you he's struggling, because _you_ kept from him what was rightfully his, what you _knew_ was rightfully his. You've deprived him of the freedom and opportunity to reach his goals, yet you stand here and laugh about it, mocking him!"

Edward leaned in closer to Bella, once again within a couple of inches of her. He could see the fire burning in her chocolate eyes, and it filled him with both excitement and dread.

"So this is what you think of me," he snorted. "These are the actions through which you judge me. Thank you, _so much_," he stressed sardonically, "for explaining it to me so fully. I'm a real and genuine asshole, according to all this."

He jerked his head to the side, and all of a sudden his hand shot out and he wrapped it around a few strands of Bella's hair, slowly running his fingers through it. Bella's breath hitched, and without moving a muscle, she watched out of the corner of her eye as his hand slowly trailed down the length of her hair. Despite her best attempts at the contrary, she shivered.

A wry grin formed on Edward's full lips. "But maybe, just maybe you would've been able to overlook all these unforgivable crimes of mine if I hadn't hurt _your_ pride right now by being honest about my feelings; by telling you the truth about how hard these feelings were to accept. All these accusations you've flung at me may have been forgotten if I'd stood here and instead flattered you with sweet words and confessions of how I never doubted how right we were for each other. But I don't lie, Bella, and neither am I ashamed of having been honest with you! They were reasonable considerations! Could you really expect me to be happy about the differences between you and me; to look forward to the possibility of someday having your mother and younger cousins as my family?

Bella's nostrils flared. She reached up and wrapped her hand around Edward's, shoving it forcefully off of her.

"You're seriously delusional, Edward, if you think that the words you spoke had anything to do with the response you received. The only effect they had was to absolve me of any guilt I may have felt at turning you down had you behaved more like a man with true and sincere feelings instead of like an arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed, fool!"

Edward's head jerked back as if she'd slapped him, but he said nothing.

"There is absolutely nothing you could have said, no pretty words you could have whispered, that would've ever tempted me."

Again, his discomposure was obvious. He looked at her with a combined expression of amazement and mortification. But Bella wasn't done.

"From the very beginning, from the very first moment I met you, your behavior, your conduct showed me exactly how arrogant you were, how full of yourself, and how little you cared for the feelings of others. It formed the groundwork for every other impression I ever got of you from that point on, and everything I learned of you afterwards simply confirmed that first impression. I hadn't known you for a full month before I felt that you were the last man on earth that I could _EVER_-

"ENOUGH!" Edward bellowed, wrapping his hands around Bella's face. She gasped at the contact, but held his gaze with false temerity because this close to each other - chests heaving, breaths fanning over each other's skin - the fire burning between them suddenly morphed into something entirely different. Edward's eyes fell to Bella's mouth and she stood there and simply watched him, limbs frozen as he slowly lowered his own mouth and moved closer…closer...

…and then backed up.

"You've said more than enough, Ms. Swan," he murmured. "I think I've got a clear picture of your feelings, and can now only be ashamed of what my own have been." He took two more steps back, leaving Bella with a sense of cold and dread that made her tremble. "I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time, and hope you have a safe trip back to school."

And with those words he quickly left her room, and the next thing Bella heard was the front door opening then slamming closed downstairs.

The chaos invading Bella's mind was so overwhelming that she was sure she'd drown in it. Her legs finally gave and unable to hold herself upright any longer, she sank onto the edge of the bed, dropped her head into her hands and cried until she could cry no more. Every time she replayed the scene in her head, it became more and more unbelievable. That Edward Cullen would come in and claim to be in love with her! That he'd confess to having been in love with her for months! So in love with her that he was willing to be in a relationship with her despite all the objections to that relationship that he'd come up with himself! The same objections that had made him break Alice and Jasper up! In a way, her ego couldn't help but be flattered at having somehow managed to get a man like Edward to fall in love with her without her even trying. But it was his arrogance, _his damned arrogance_, his unapologetic satisfaction with what he'd done to Alice, the aloof and callous manner in which he'd discussed what he'd done to Mike, the cruelty that he hadn't even tried to deny, that soon helped Bella overcome the sympathy she'd momentarily felt at having turned Edward down.

Bella continued in her confused thoughts and reflections until the sounds of Jake and Leah returning from Senator De Volturi's brunch snapped her out of it. Quickly, she hurried into the bathroom to wash her face before finally making her escape from Madrona.

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**A/N: Thoughts? **

**What a cluster-f_ck!**

**So who was the biggest idiot in all of this?**

**Will TRY to update once more before Christmas, but just in case, Happy Holidays to all those celebrating all different sorts of days; Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, Boxing Day, etc. Love you all and wish you a great 2013! Will see you soon!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	22. A&A Ch 21 P&P Ch 35

**A/N: Sorry. I got distracted by a little story called, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas.' But I'm back now.**

**The story starts changing a bit more here guys, because we're not talking about eighteenth century Regency, but rather twenty-first century America. I apologize in advance if any of the changes offend anyone, but for those familiar with P&P, Mr. Wickham getting Georgiana to fall in love with him and 'almost' elope with him wouldn't really be much nowadays, would it?**

**A&A Ch. 21/P&P Ch. 35**

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Bella awoke the next morning feeling sluggish and numb. Her mind had been plagued all through the night with replays of the previous evening's scene; the overly confident look on Edward's face when he told her he loved her, followed by his outraged indignation when she told him she felt the total opposite. All night she'd tossed and turned, wondering why she felt so miserable, why her heart felt so heavy when she'd simply been honest with him; when she'd gotten off of her chest all that had been building up for months.

Even as she prepared herself for her before class morning jog, her thoughts circled around his every word, his every phrase.

'_All these accusations you've flung at me may have been forgotten if I'd stood here and instead flattered you with sweet words and confessions of how I never doubted how right we were for each other.'_

Bella took off running, her pace too quick; her feet too rigid, trying to escape, but it was futile.

'_All these accusations you've flung at me may have been forgotten if I'd stood here and instead flattered you with sweet words and confessions of how I never doubted how right we were for each other.'_

No! It wasn't true! He was an arrogant, conceited fool, and she would've turned him down regardless of what he'd said to her!

She dropped her head and momentarily closed her eyes to the constant-

She'd only gotten as far as the corner of her block when someone yanked her arm and swung her around, and her body collided with a strong, unyielding chest.

Bella gasped sharply and looked up and into cool green eyes. Edward regarded her stonily; jaw set tight, chest heaving.

"Don't worry," he said coldly, "I don't plan to stalk or bother you." He raised his other hand and Bella saw it held an envelope. "I just need to ask one thing of you – that you _please_ read this."

She took the letter instinctively.

"Good-bye, Bella." He held her gaze for one immeasurable moment, and then quickly walked away while she watched him. And with the casual push of a button on his car key he unlocked his doors and drove off without another glance her way.

Knowing that she'd never be able to finish her jog now, Bella sprinted back to her small student housing apartment, chest heaving and body cold and clammy, as if she'd gone for a marathon run rather than having barely made it around the corner. Hands shaking, she sat down and tore open the envelope that had her name written on it in perfectly formed script. Inside were a few sheets of paper, written front and back. With dread tickling her spine, Bella began reading:

_Bella, _

_Let me set your mind at ease from the very beginning and assure you that this letter does not contain any repeat of the feelings that I expressed to you yesterday, which you found so offensive. I don't plan to upset you or to embarrass myself further by dwelling on things that can't be, things that for the sake of both of us can't be forgotten soon enough. I wouldn't be writing this or asking you to read it if it wasn't for the fact that every fiber of my being demands that it be written and read. Therefore I'll ask for your forgiveness in demanding your attention one final time. Your hostility towards me will likely make it difficult for you to grant such forgiveness, but I have to ask it of your sense of justice, which I **know** you possess._

_There were two hefty crimes of which you accused me yesterday – though one is definitely worse than the other. The first was that regardless of what they may have felt themselves, I'd worked it so that Jasper would stay away from your sister. The other, that despite certain wishes, despite what is honorable and right, I'd left Mike penniless and out in the cold, that I'd purposely and inconsiderately abandoned someone who was once one of my best friends, who was once like a son to my own father. If true, then what I'd done to Jasper and Alice would pale in comparison. But if you don't mind, I'd like to attempt to absolve myself of some of the blame which you so readily lay at my feet. If during my explanation it becomes necessary to bring up those feelings which offended you so much yesterday, then I can only repeat that I'm sorry._

_We hadn't been in Forks long before I realized that Jasper liked your sister. But it wasn't until the night of the party at Netherfield that I realized his feelings were much stronger than that. You must understand that I've seen Jasper in love before, but it was during that night, while you and I danced together, that Seth happened to mention that the entire neighborhood was already expecting Jasper and Alice to tie the knot. He spoke about it as if it was a foregone conclusion. That's when I started paying closer attention to Jasper's behavior. What I found was that Jasper did indeed seem to be more in love with Alice than I'd ever seen him be before. So I watched your sister._

_Yes, Alice did seem as happy and friendly as ever, but she didn't look like a woman in love to me. And though she certainly laughed and enjoyed Jasper's company, I couldn't perceive anything beyond a summer's fling in her actions._

_Bella, if you weren't wrong here, then I must've been. You know your sister much better than I do, so it's probably the latter. If so, and if by making such a mistake I hurt your sister, than I admit you have reason to be upset. But I have to insist that the way your sister acted all summer up to and including the night of the party made it seem as though she was happy enough to be in Jasper's company, but her heart wouldn't be broken once the summer was over._

_I won't deny that I wanted to believe that this was the case, but my beliefs and decisions aren't usually based on my hopes or fears. I didn't believe that Alice wasn't in love with Jasper because that's what I wanted to believe, but rather because that's what **my** eyes showed me._

_Please understand that my objections to Jasper and Alice weren't solely based on those which I mentioned last night in regards to you and I. His situation is very different from mine, but there were other reasons; reasons that though existing in our situation too, I'd conveniently chosen to forget._

_I'll state these briefly:_

_Your mom's background, though not the greatest, was nothing compared to the embarrassing behavior displayed almost constantly by her, by your two cousins, and even occasionally by your father._

_I'm sorry, Bella. Believe me, I'm not trying to hurt you by saying these things, but please let me assure you that despite those surrounding you, both you and Alice have always conducted yourselves in ways that could only garner respect and admiration. I'll only go on to say that from everything that happened that evening, I decided that the best thing to do would be to keep Jasper from making a mistake he'd most likely live to regret. He's my best friend, and I simply wished the best for him._

_He left Forks the following day - as I'm sure you remember - planning to return._

_This is when I stepped in._

_You see, Tanya was as uneasy with the entire situation as I was, so we decided that the best thing to do would be to keep him out of Forks. That's why we left for New York the next day, and that's why the first chance that I got I let Jasper know of my concerns. Still, however much these concerns may have weighed on Jasper I honestly don't know. What actually convinced him to stay away was my assurance that Alice didn't feel for him the way he felt for her. He'd been sure that she was as in love with him as he was with her. But however confident Jasper may seem, he's always been shy around women he cares about, and he's always given great value to my opinion. Therefore, it didn't take much to convince him that he'd been wrong. And it didn't take much to convince him to stay away from Alice once that assurance had been given._

_I can't blame myself for what I did. It was done in the honest belief that I was helping him out. But I do blame myself for one thing, and that's that I went as far as keeping from him the information that Alice had tried to contact him and his cousins when she arrived in New York. Tanya told me that Alice had called her a few times, but Jasper, not knowing of this, convinced himself that I'd been right all along, and that the entire thing had been just a summer fling in Alice's eyes. In my defense, I thought she just wanted to hang out with some friends._

_I'll admit that perhaps this was a bit too much, but it's done now and as I said, I only meant well._

_I have nothing more to say on this subject; no more apologies to give. If I hurt your sister it wasn't on purpose, and though my reasons may seem inane to you, to me, they were completely justified._

_As for that other accusation, that I ruined Mike's future, I can only answer that by giving you a long and complicated explanation of his exact connection to my family. I'm not sure what exactly he's accused me of, but I can guarantee you the truth of what I'm about to say, and can go as far as to encourage you to double check the facts with my cousin Peter, whom I know you've come to respect and trust in a way you've never done me._

_Mike's father was an extremely great man. He helped my father manage our family's business for many years. He was more family than employee and as such our families were very close; my father was even godfather to Mike._

_My dad loved Mike almost as a son. He paid for his private school education and hoping that he'd follow his own father's footsteps into law, intended to pay for that too._

_As children, Mike and I were close friends, but as the years passed, and from everything that I heard him say and saw him do during our time together in private school, I was able to paint a clearer picture of the type of person he really was. He had…habits which I won't describe in specifics in this letter, but he did a good job of hiding them from his father and mine._

_Once again, I'm afraid I might have to say things that will hurt you – how much so only you will know. But whatever feelings I suspect you harbor towards Mike won't stop me from saying what I have to say. On the contrary, it makes it all the more important that I do so._

_My dad passed away five years ago. In his will, he left a generous amount for Mike – stating his hopes that it would be used towards earning the law degree Mike had always insisted he wanted to pursue. Mike's own dad passed away about a year after mine. Since, as I have said, Mike and I were no longer close, as soon as he received his inheritance, all ties between us were severed, and he disappeared._

_A year later he returned, broke and claiming he'd lost the money on some financial schemes that hadn't worked out his way. He asked for more money, saying that he was now finally ready to pursue an honest career – medicine now, he said – and reminded me that my father would've wanted him to succeed._

_Bella, it was for the memory of my father that I did agree to support his pursuit of a medical degree – on the condition that he would apply to any medical school of his choosing and I would pay the school directly. He insisted I give him the cash. I refused. We argued. He left and I both expected and hoped never to hear from him again._

_I started hearing rumors about how he was living his life. Again, I won't repeat them, both because they aren't things I'd discuss with a lady and because I don't want to hurt you. He tried to contact me a few times, asking for money, cursing me, going as far as accusing me of disregarding my father's last wishes, but Bella, I more than heeded my father's wishes. After that, I didn't hear from him for awhile._

_Last spring, that changed._

_Bella, what I'm about to tell you are things that I wish I could forget myself, and nothing besides the present circumstances could ever induce me to repeat this. Having said that, I want you to know that though you may not feel the same, I trust you completely, and I know that I can count on you to keep this to yourself. It's why I wrote you a letter instead of an email – I don't even want these things on cyberspace._

_My mother passed away a couple of years before my father, and when he died he left both my cousin Peter and myself as Rosalie's guardians. Rosalie is nine years younger than me._

_A couple of years ago, Rosalie informed me that she was tired of attending boarding school, that she wanted to attend a normal high school, like normal girls. I have always indulged her, and honestly, I remembered what being in boarding school was like and could easily understand her dislike of it. So I agreed, and she went to live in our apartment in New York City. Since I was still in school in Dartmouth, I hired an attendant, a nanny you might say, for her, since she was still underage. What I didn't know was that Mike had at some point returned to the city and that he started spending a lot of time with Rosalie, alone, since the 'nanny', Ms. Cope, was apparently a good friend of his._

_Rosalie became pregnant. Mike convinced her that I would be outraged with her, that I'd never forgive her, and being young, scared, thinking herself in love, she believed every word he said. He convinced her to have an abortion, and once she'd done that, he tried to blackmail her. He told her he'd tell me everything, how she'd been sleeping around with boys all over New York City for months, how she and Mike had been sleeping together behind my back, the pregnancy, claim that Rosalie had the abortion because she had no idea who the father was, and air everything out in public – unless she paid him an exorbitant amount of money._

_Bella, Rosalie was barely seventeen at the time. She'd known Mike all her life. And she'd been brought up to avoid scandal at all costs._

_I came home unannounced one day, and found Rosalie crying, curled up in a fetal position in her room. She confessed it all to me, her relationship with Mike, and the lies he'd threatened to tell if she didn't give in to his blackmail. She actually begged me to pay him because she didn't want to embarrass me in public. You can't imagine how that made me feel; that she could ever think I'd be embarrassed of her._

_What Rose had failed to realize in her terror was that Mike was the one who had everything to lose in this situation. Rosalie was an underage minor at the time she began her relationship with Mike. I begged Rosalie to let me go to the police, but she was terrified of what people would think of her, so she convinced me to keep quiet. When Mike came over that day, unaware that I was home, I beat the hell out of him and warned him never to come near my family again or I'd kill him._

_The abortion, the entire situation, messed with Rosalie's mind badly, Bella. I got her a therapist to work things out with, and stayed with her as much as possible until I finished school. She is just beginning to be herself again._

_I hope you believe me, because I swear to you that everything I've said in this letter is the truth. And I hope if nothing else, you will at least take back your accusations of my being unnecessarily cruel to Mike. Maybe you'll wonder why I didn't tell you all this last night, but the truth is that my mind was in such an uproar that I couldn't think clearly enough to explain it all to you. As I said, if you have any doubts, you can speak to Peter, who knows about everything related to Rosalie, since he is her co-guardian. If your hatred of me makes it difficult to believe my words, you should at least be confident that Peter wouldn't lie, and in case you'd like to speak to him before he is deployed again, I'm going to try to get this letter to you as soon as possible._

_I'll only add, God bless you and may you have the best of everything._

_Edward Cullen._

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	23. A&A Ch 23 (P&P Ch 36)

**A&A Ch. 23 (P&P Ch. 36)**

**Beta'd by Michelle Renker Rhodes. Thx bb!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen.**

* * *

When Edward handed Bella the letter currently in her hands, she had not known what to expect, and though she was pretty sure it wouldn't contain a repeat of his confession of love, she certainly hadn't expected anything remotely close to what she'd just read. If she'd been numb before, it was nothing compared to the torrent of emotions that now swept through her.

At first, she was resentfully indignant at his apparent belief that he could attempt to apologize for what he'd done, as if any explanation he could possibly give would be in any way acceptable! So when she began his explanation of all that had occurred at Netherfield, she was already in the mindset that whatever he could have to say would be insufficient.

She read so eagerly and quickly that it was hard to grasp everything he actually wrote. She dismissed his account of Alice seeming aloof when it came to Jasper as soon as she read it. And his account of his real objections to their relationship made her too angry to acknowledge whether what he was saying was true or not. There was no real apology in his letter - no regrets - which was just fine by her since it only confirmed her opinion of him - that he was arrogant and presumptuous.

But when she got to the subject of Mike, things were different. To this subject, she couldn't help but pay closer attention and to comprehend that if what Edward was saying was true, then it had to change every opinion, every high regard that she'd ever held Mike in. And yet at first, the story was so close to what Mike had told her himself. Her feelings went from wariness, to shock, to downright horror as she read. Knowing what it would mean, her first inclination was towards disbelief, and over and over she repeated, "It's not true, it _can't_ be true!"

Her hands shook, and barely scanning the last couple of paragraphs, Bella threw the letter to the side and went to shower, to get ready for her classes, determined not to believe - not to give the letter a second thought.

But still clad in her towel, she ran straight back to the letter when she stepped out of the bathroom. Skipping the parts about Jasper and Alice for now and going directly to that of Mike, this time she forced herself to focus on every single word and put it all in proper context, in proper perspective.

Edward's account of how Mike's family was connected to his was exactly the story Mike had first told her - as was the love and kindness that Edward's father had shown Mike growing up. Everything matched – until she came to the will.

What Mike had said about Edward's total disregard of the will was etched clearly in her memory, and as Bella read, she knew that one or the other was telling a boldfaced lie. For a second, she let herself believe that the initial account she'd gotten _had_ to be the real one. But as she read and reread Edward's version - stating that he'd followed his father's wishes and given Mike his inheritance, his generous and unassuming decision to further pay for Mike's education – she was forced to re-examine her thoughts.

She put down the letter and stood up, pacing her floor, going through every circumstance in her mind and trying with all her might to be impartial. But it was so difficult. It was one's word against the other. She picked up the letter and read it once again, realizing that every line, every statement, if true would do exactly what she'd believed impossible just a few minutes ago: prove Edward to be completely innocent in the entire scheme.

And then Edward never actually stated all of Mike's shortcomings, never tried to slander him the way the other had done. Bella stopped and thought.

She knew nothing about Mike. Apart from his beginnings at Pemberley Estates, she had no idea what he'd been doing with his life before appearing in Port Angeles. He'd never mentioned any of it, and truthfully, Bella had never thought of asking. He had a great personality, a great voice, a pretty face, and that had been enough for her to call him a nice, decent guy. She tried to remember if she'd ever seen him actually _do_ any good, anything of service, but she couldn't. She closed her eyes and could clearly see him grinning, blue eyes laughing, but she couldn't actually recall anything truly good about him other than the fact that the entire neighborhood thought he was a great guy because he was social and outgoing.

She read again.

But it only got worse from there. Her hands trembled again when she reached the part related to Rosalie, and Edward's assurance that she could go ahead and ask Peter to corroborate the story. Her mind replayed her last meeting with Peter, and when she'd mentioned Rosalie, the protective and wary way he'd responded. For a split second, she actually considered going to him before he left his aunt's house. But no. The items in the letter were too personal, too touchy to treat so callously.

Bella's mind now went back to that day in McDonald's – when Mike had first told her his sad story. It now hit her how inappropriate that conversation had really been. She'd barely known him! How could he tell such a story to someone he'd just recently met? And _why_ had she believed it so easily? She recalled all the things he'd said and only now recognized how little his words matched his actions. He'd assured her that he wasn't scared of Edward; that if Edward didn't want to see him then _he_ would have to be the one to leave the area, yet the night of the Netherfield party, it was Mike who didn't show up! It also struck her that while Edward and his friends had been at Netherfield, Mike had only told his sordid tale to her, yet as soon as Edward and company left, his tongue quickly poisoned the entire neighborhood against Edward – even though he'd once told Bella that his love for Edward Sr. could never allow him to discredit his son's reputation!

Everything appeared so different now.

Every good opinion Bella had ever had of Mike faded swiftly away, and Bella was left to recall all her mistakes. Jasper himself, when questioned about Edward, had assured Alice that his friend was completely without blame in the entire affair. She admitted to herself that as arrogant and conceited as Edward may have been throughout the entire time she'd known him, _he_ had always stood by his principles, and she had never see him do or heard him say anything unjust, anything that he could not back up with facts. Among his own circle of friends, he was highly liked and respected. Even Mike had once admitted he'd been a good friend. What's more, she'd often heard him speak of his sister, Rosalie, with so much tenderness, which proved he could actually _feel -_ he could _love_.

Alone in her small apartment, flashes of shame colored Bella's face, pooled into her legs and buckled them under her until she had to lower herself to the couch, nauseous and sick to her stomach. How could she have been so blind, so easily influenced, so _hateful_?

"I've been such an idiot," she choked shakily, "always believing myself such a great judge of character yet I've judged so poorly just because in the beginning of our relationship one was able to stroke my ego with pretty words while the other crushed it with his indifference! I let my pride get in the way of the truth. I listened to lies and half-truths while pushing away reason and common sense. Until this very moment, I've had no idea of the type of person I really am!"

Because if she'd been so wrong, if she'd believed a good, decent man to be cold and heartless while believing a cold, heartless monster to be decent, what did that say about _her_? If all it had taken was a bright, toothy smile and flirtatious looks to believe everything Mike said, she could have so easily found herself in poor Rosalie's predicament, except that with her lack of money and position in the world, Mike probably would've been even more monstrous with her - if possible.

Bella shuddered.

And then her thoughts went to Alice and Jasper.

At first, Edward's explanation of that issue had seemed completely lacking. She read it again, and with this second reading all her views were totally altered. How could she believe him truthful in one instance and not the other? He claimed he'd been completely unaware of Alice's true feelings towards Jasper, and Bella couldn't help but remember Leah's warning from a few months ago - when she'd told Bella that Alice acted too cool, too in control of her feelings – and Bella couldn't deny this to be true. At the time, she'd thought Alice's manner justified, but perhaps…if she'd been just a little more demonstrative of her true feelings…

Bella kept reading and came to the part of the letter where Edward mentioned her family's embarrassing behavior. Shame colored her face, but here neither could she deny his words to be true, and she recalled the specific instances at the Netherfield party that he'd mentioned and how she herself had felt that night that her family's antics couldn't have been more thoroughly disgraceful if they'd attempted it whole-heartedly. When he'd excluded Alice and herself from this picture, it was a soothing balm indeed, but not enough to quell the mortification that she'd endured because of the rest of her family. And the thought that these antics could've been partly to blame for Alice's current dejection, along with the notion that her mother and cousins' behavior would forever reflect badly on all of them – all of it, from beginning to end, was almost too much to bear.

In this tumultuous state, Bella went to her classes, barely hearing anything, not absorbing one lesson, her mind solely and only on the letter and all it had taught her of herself – and of Edward.

When she returned home that evening, tired and confused beyond function, she saw that she had a message on her machine, and absently pressing the replay button while she discarded her clothes, her heart dropped to her feet when she heard a man clearing his throat over the phone line.

"Hey, Bella, it's Peter. Edward and I are leaving Washington today, so I called to say good-bye, since I'll probably be off to the Middle East soon. So…if you want to talk…or say good-bye, call me or text me. Take care, and it was great to meet you."

Overwhelmed by the disappointment flooding her, Bella picked up her cell phone, her mind circling around a thousand and one questions she could possibly ask. In the end, all she managed were five words.

"Good-bye, Peter. Take care."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	24. A&A Ch 24 (P&P Ch 37 to 42)

**A/N: A couple of you pointed out to me that last week was the 200****th**** anniversary of Jane Austen having written Pride & Prejudice. I guess it was a good time for me to update!**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is now doing her beta magic on this story!**

**Characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. I've just moved it to the 21****st**** century.**

**Chapter song rec: **_**We Belong Together**_** by Mariah Carey (Just heard it on the radio the other day and made me think of this chapter.)**

**A&A Ch. 24 (P&P Chs. 37 to 42)**

* * *

The weeks passed, and with the ever-increasing cool weather came the winter holiday season. Bella's school was decorated in wreaths and trees and menorahs; friends called out "Happy Holidays!" as they sat around studying or lunching together; Bella prepared for her winter exams - and all the while Edward's letter burned a hole in her backpack.

She knew it by heart now, could recite it word for word; if one of her exams had consisted of analyzing every sentence in the letter, Bella would've aced it with her eyes closed.

Yet every time she studied the letter, her feelings toward its writer varied greatly. At times, when she paid close attention to the arrogance still in full effect within the letter, she was filled with indignation. But when she recalled how prematurely and unfairly she'd condemned and insulted him, her anger turned inwards towards herself, and his mortification shamed her. She was _grateful_ for what his feelings towards her had been; she _respected_ him, but at the same time she knew there could never be a relationship between them. She didn't regret turning him down, and she hoped she'd never have to see him again because for months, her behavior towards him had been shameful, and remembering how her family had behaved around him embarrassed her even further.

And the truth was that they would never change. Her mother would forever be a lazy, money-hungry gossip, her cousins would probably always be a few miles beyond boy-crazy, and her father would most likely never put his foot down with any of them. Bella and Alice had often tried to instill some common sense and behavior into Jessica and Lauren, but with their mother constantly indulging them, there was little chance of improvement.

Worrying about Alice was another constant source of stress in Bella's life nowadays. After Edward's explanation of the events that had kept Jasper and Alice apart, Bella's good opinion of Jasper returned, but she still couldn't understand why he hadn't just communicated his concerns with Alice instead of taking Edward's opinion for fact.

But it was when she remembered everything associated with Mike that Bella's usually cheerful attitude took a nose dive. The only thing that offered her any kind of relief on this subject was the fact that Mike had been so involved with his new, rich girlfriend lately that he paid no more attention to the Swan girls.

Yes, it was the holiday season, a time of supposed joy and cheer, yet Bella had never been so depressed in her life.

School finally ended, and Bella spent a couple of long days at home with her family in Forks before flying down to New York.

Lauren and Jessica were as flighty as ever, but in another effort to try to calm them and make them more sensible, Bella took her younger cousins out to lunch on one of the days she was home. They went to a small yet nice restaurant in Port Angeles, and after flirting shamelessly with the waiter and disparaging him when he was away, Jessica turned to Bella with an excited gleam.

"Guess, what Bella? I've got the best news!"

"What is it?" Bella asked, though she was sure it was something about a boy because with Jessica, it was always about a boy. While she waited for Jessica's answer, Bella thought of how she could possibly communicate to both Jessica and Lauren that it was _okay_ to speak of other things besides guys.

"I heard from Ben who heard from Tyler that Mike isn't dating that stuck up beeyotch from his school anymore! She actually transferred out to some school on the East Coast. Can you believe that? Mike is free!"

'_More like that poor girl is free,' _Bella thought to herself.

"Jess," Bella started carefully, "I know you think Mike is…nice," she forced out through gritted teeth, "but whether he has a girlfriend or not, he's still a bit too old for you to be crushing on."

Jessica giggled and gave Bella a look that clearly indicated that she did not agree.

Bella tried to think before speaking. She could never betray a hint of what Edward had told her, but at the same time she wanted to make Jess understand that hanging out with Mike was out of the question.

"Jess, I've heard some people say that Mike might not be as nice a guy as he pretends to be."

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "Who's said that?"

Bella shrugged. "I can't remember exactly."

Jessica snorted. "And I'm supposed to take the word of people you don't even remember?"

Bella bit her lip, trying to reign in her temper. "Jessica, he's too old for you anyway. Stay away from him, okay? There are plenty of guys your own age in your high school you can hang out with. As a matter of fact, now that Alice and I aren't around so much, you and Lauren shouldn't be coming out to Port Angeles by yourselves."

"Why?" Lauren whined. "I like Port Angeles!"

Jessica just raised an eyebrow towards Bella. "Who do you think you are, Bella? Aunt Renee doesn't even try to tell us what to do. What makes you think that you can?"

Again, Bella held in the words on the tip of her tongue. "Jessica, Lauren - I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just want to make sure that nothing bad happens to either one of you. There's nothing wrong with hanging out around Forks with kids your own ages. And when I'm around, or when Alice is around, we'll bring you girls out to Port Angeles and even Seattle when we can. Okay? Just…try to stick around Forks when we're not around."

For a long time, Jessica simply stared at Bella while Lauren stared at Jessica, because whatever Jessica decided, Lauren would go along with.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Jessica finally said. "Hey, are we going to order desert now or what?"

OOOOOOOOOO

The night before leaving for New York, Bella tried to talk to her dad about keeping a closer eye on the girls, paying more attention to where they were and with whom.

"Bella, no matter how much attention I pay to what they do," Charlie said from behind his paper, "those girls are gonna do what they want to do, especially with your mother always covering up for them."

"All I'm saying, Dad," Bella insisted, "is that maybe you should try to spend a little more time with them. You have no idea of the things that are said about them around the neighborhood, and as a result, are said of all of us."

Charlie sounded bored when he answered. "Bella, I'm sure that whatever those two get up to doesn't affect you or Alice one bit. Everyone knows you two are great girls, while those two…" he trailed off. "Just go on with your life, Bella. Don't worry about what those two get into. Now let me get back to my sports section before your mother gets home and starts driving me crazy."

With Charlie's obvious dismissal, Bella got up and walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

Bella finally flew down to New York to join Emmett and Alice for the holidays, hoping to be able to put her own misery behind her enough to lift Alice's spirits – anxious to tell her in person of all that had happened with Edward yet still unsure as to how much to tell her about Jasper.

OOOOOOOOOO

As soon as they were settled back at Emmett and Alice's apartment and Emmett had gone to bed and left Alice and Bella alone in the living room, Bella told Alice what she'd been dying to tell her for weeks but had needed to do so in person.

She started with Edward's declaration of love towards her, the manner in which he'd declared it, and her response to him.

At first, Alice's jaw hung open with shock, but after a few minutes, she was able to close it, and the power of speech was hers again.

"Bella, it would be unbelievable, except for the fact that of course he'd fall in love with you. I mean, look at you."

Bella couldn't help but smile at Alice's comment.

"Still, I can understand how his…mode of declaration may have upset you." Alice bit her lip. "But, Bella, think about it," she said calmly. "Edward may be a bit arrogant, but what if it's not just a whole lot of arrogance, but a slight bit of arrogance coupled with a whole lot of shyness? Wouldn't that make him awkward…perhaps uncomfortable enough that he'd say things he didn't really mean to say, that he'd trip over his own tongue and forget to think before speaking?"

"I…suppose, but-"

"I mean, let's be honest, Bella, our family isn't exactly the picture of decorum. And yes, he was wrong to say those things, but like I said, maybe he was just extremely nervous and had some sort of verbal diarrhea."

Bella thought silently, her chest rising and falling.

"But, God," Alice went on, "think of how embarrassed and mortified he must've been when you turned him down! Yes, he was wrong to say the things he did, but imagine how much more it must've wounded him to have _finally_ summoned enough courage to tell you how he feels only to be turned down so roughly!"

"Oh God." Bella felt nauseous. "Believe me, I do feel horrible about that, but all the doubts he had about us in the first place were probably enough to kill away that love he claimed to feel anyway, right?"

Alice didn't answer.

"You don't think I was wrong to turn him down, do you?"

"Bella, it's not for me to answer that. If you didn't feel the same as he, then there would've been no point in leading him on. Do _you_ think you were wrong to turn him down?"

Bella stared at her sister. "There's more I haven't told you," she said, in lieu of an answer to Alice's question.

She went on and told Alice all about Mike and watched as all the blood drained from Alice's face.

"I…don't even know what to say," Alice finally said, her voice shaking with disgust and heartfelt empathy for all that poor Rosalie had gone through. "That Mike could be so downright evil! And poor Edward! Bella, imagine what he must've felt! Not only did you turn _him_ down, but you defended _Mike_ through the whole thing! And then for him to have to tell you his sister's story to get you to understand the kind of man Mike really is!" She shuddered. "Oh God, it's just horrible!"

"Yes, it is," Bella agreed. "I thought I was so smart, so justified in calling Edward an asshole from the very beginning, for no other reason than that he'd privately told his friend that he didn't find me attractive. Yet if that was his opinion, then that was his opinion. We all have opinions, which if overheard by others might cause hurt feelings, but I wasn't meant to hear Edward's opinion of me that night, and maybe it would've been for the best if I hadn't."

Alice looked at her sister sadly.

Bella sighed. "I have other things to tell you, but before we get to them, I want your opinion on something else, Alice." Alice waited patiently. "Do you think I should let everyone know exactly the kind of man that Mike is?"

Alice looked away thoughtfully for several minutes, contemplating Bella's question. Finally, she turned her eyes back to Bella.

"It's up to you, Bella, but how would you go about explaining what kind of man Mike is without telling Rosalie's story?"

Bella shook her head vehemently. "I _can't_ tell Rosalie's story. It's not my place to do so, Edward told me that in the strictest of confidence. Even though I'm sure he never wants to see me again after the way I treated him, I could never betray his trust like that."

"I agree," Alice nodded.

"And anyway," Bella went on, "Mike isn't hanging around Forks much anymore, and I've spoken to Jessica and Lauren about staying away from him and out of Port Angeles."

"Good," Alice said, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

But there was one more thing Bella wanted to speak to Alice about, and this piece of information was almost as hard and uncomfortable to explain as had been that about Mike.

But Bella went ahead and told Alice what Edward had told her about Jasper. She told her that to Edward it hadn't looked like Alice was all that in love, and that he'd told Jasper this, and Jasper had taken it to heart.

Alice was quiet for a long while afterwards.

"Talk to me, Alice," Bella pleaded. "What are you thinking? Are you angry at Edward?" And though it shouldn't have mattered to Bella whether Alice was upset at him or not – especially since she herself had been furious with him when she'd found out – she couldn't help hoping deep in her heart that Alice wouldn't hate Edward for this.

After a couple more minutes, Alice drew in a long, ragged breath and let it out slowly, staring at her hands. "I have to admit, I was a bit upset with him for the first couple of minutes," – she looked up at Bella – "but the thing is, Bella, regardless of what Edward told Jasper, regardless of what my feelings may have appeared to be to Edward, _Jasper_ should have spoken to me about it, not simply taken Edward's word for it. No, I don't blame Edward for doing what he thought was right for his friend, but I blame Jasper for being so easily persuaded, for not giving me the benefit of the doubt, for not at least attempting to speak to me about it!"

Bella looked at Alice sadly. "So you're mad at Jasper?"

Alice shook her head tiredly. "No, Bella," she said in a weary tone, "I'm not mad at anyone. I'm just…disappointed that because of a lack of communication, this is how things ended."

Bella put a warm hand on her sister's shoulder. "So why don't you try calling him?" she whispered carefully.

Alice shook her head. "He didn't have enough faith, Bella, enough respect to speak to me personally, and I can't be with a man who doesn't have faith and respect in me."

Bella felt tears sting her eyes, because she could see how much Alice still loved Jasper, but she understood her. She neither could ever be with a man who didn't have faith in her, who'd claimed to have fallen in love with her, but didn't _respect_ her. The thought was almost too much to bear.

So she went to bed, forcing thoughts of New York City and all the exploring she'd do in the next few days into her mind – refusing to think of the man who'd claimed to love with no respect.

OOOOOOOOOO

The first couple of days in New York were spent at all the tourist sites: The Statue of Liberty, Time Square, Rockefeller Center, etc. Emmett and Alice took her everywhere, and though the weather was cold, they bundled and explored, took pictures, and had hot cocoa at Serendipity.

But Emmett could tell something was off with his cousins. Over the past couple of months, he'd grown used to Alice's occasional sad smiles, the way her eyes would take on a far-away look when she thought no one was looking, the wistful expression on her face when she'd see a couple walking down the street together. He'd hoped more than actually believed that this visit from Bella would completely bring her out of the funk she kept trying to hide.

But now Bella looked as forlorn as Alice had for the past few months. His usually cheerful and impish younger cousin looked upset, and at first Emmett couldn't make heads or tails of it. She'd sworn to him that Mike's involvement with that other, much richer girl hadn't affected her at all, but though he wasn't much of a betting man, if he had been, he'd swear that Bella was nursing a heart as wounded as that of Alice's. Yeah, sure, she enjoyed all the sites they went to, she laughed at all his jokes, made all the appropriate sarcastic comments, but something was off, and Emmett was going to get to the bottom of it.

They were riding the cross-town bus back to the apartment one night when Bella got a text. She pulled out her cell phone.

**Hey, Bella, long time no see. Been missing you, sweetheart. R U in Forks for the holidays? Want me to come by? Mike**

The disgust that rolled around in Bella's stomach at seeing the text was almost unbearable. She swallowed thickly and decided not to answer, but then she thought about it. She wouldn't put it past Mike to stop by uninvited, and she didn't want Lauren or Jessica anywhere around him. So while Emmett and Alice were distracted in conversation, she gave a quick reply.

**In New York for the holidays. No need for you to stop by. -B.**

**New York, huh? Glad it's such a large state. Not much danger of your running into Edward. -M.**

Bella's blood boiled.

**Actually, I saw him last month. He's fine, by the way. -B.**

For a long time, there was no response, and then:

**Unlucky you, then. Was he as horrible as usual? -M.**

**As I said, he was absolutely fine. -B.**

**Really? Someone must've given him an attitude adjustment. LOL. -M.**

**His attitude, his manners, his character are all what they've always been. When I said he was absolutely fine, I didn't mean his attitude had changed. I meant that MY attitude towards him has changed. -B.**

Again, it was a while before she received a response.

**And what brought on this change, may I ask? -M.**

**Let's just say that I've seen the light.  
****Good-bye Michael. -B.**

There was no response after that.

"Who were you texting with while we were on the bus?" Emmett asked later on as they ate at a small café in The Village, while Alice was in the restroom.

Bella made a face. "Ugh, with Mike."

Emmett studied her carefully.

"Bella, I've noticed you've been sort of…out of it lately? Wanna tell me what's going on?"

Bella looked down at her Pad Thai and shrugged.

"Did that asshat do something to you?" Emmett's nostrils flared. "Because if he did, I'm gonna tear him a new-"

At this she whipped her head up quickly. "Who? Mike?"

"Yeah, Mike," Emmett sneered.

"No!" Bella cried. "I mean, you're right, he is an asshat, but he didn't do anything to me. He's not why I'm…" she trailed off, running a hand through her hair.

Emmett reached out and put a hand on hers. "Hey, little cuz, what's going on?"

"Em…" she began. "It's just that, I did something really stupid. I judged someone wrongly, and I said some things…and he said some things…and it got really ugly."

Emmett waited patiently for her to continue, but when he saw she wouldn't, he sighed and backed up.

"If you judged someone wrong, just apologize."

"It's not always so easy."

Emmett snorted. "Bella, Bella. It usually _is_ that easy. We just tend to make things more complicated for ourselves."

"I don't think he wants my apology. In fact, I'm pretty sure he hates my guts right about now. I know I'd hate me if it had been the other way around."

"And there you go making things more difficult," Emmett snickered. "Stop assuming you know what _he_ – whoever _he_ happens to be – thinks. It's usually the assuming that gets us in trouble. You know what they say, right?" he grinned wryly. "When you assume, you make an ass out of you and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bella rolled her eyes, "I know how the saying goes, Emmett."

Later on that evening, while the three were around the TV, Emmett suggested a change of plans to their itinerary for the next few days. Originally, they'd planned to hang around the city for Bella's entire stay in New York, but the weatherman had just announced snow for the next three days, and Emmett thought it would be fun to head Upstate for the next few days, to Ithaca, where he'd gone to pre-med school. There were some nice ski-lodges in the area, as well as waterfalls and beautiful views full of snow-capped mountains.

There was also that huge vineyard where New York State's most popular wine was made – but Emmett couldn't quite remember the name of it so he didn't bother mentioning that to his cousins. Maybe they could stop by and take a tour if time allowed.

The idea sounded like a good one to Bella. She wanted to stay as busy as possible because it was the only way she could keep Edward and his letter out of her mind. And as she agreed excitedly with Emmett's plan, she looked over at Alice for her thoughts.

Alice smiled. "It really does sound beautiful, but you know what guys? I don't know about me and skiing," she chuckled. "Besides, you know that friend I was talking to earlier? She lives in Long Island, and she invited me over for a couple of days. I wasn't going to go, but if you guys want to go upstate, I'd be fine going to spend a couple of days with her."

Bella felt horrible because the whole point of coming to New York had been to help Alice get over her heartbreak, and Bella couldn't honestly say she'd done anything but quietly brood over her own issues since she'd arrived.

"No, Alice. I don't want you to spend the next few days by yourself."

"Hey," Alice laughed, "didn't you hear me? I won't be alone. She's a really good friend from school. I'm serious; I'll be just fine going off to Long Island for a few days if you and Emmett want to go skiing."

Bella studied Alice. She really did seem honestly excited about the idea. And then Bella started thinking that maybe, just maybe, Alice was finally starting to get over Jasper and going off with a friend for a few days would definitely be good for her.

"Well, if you're sure, I really would love to try skiing…"

Alice gave Bella a hug. "I'm more than sure."

So it was decided. Bella and Emmett would be going up to Ithaca, and Alice would go off to her friend's house in Long Island.

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Another one of my favorite chapters coming up!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	25. A&A Ch 25 (P&P Ch 43)

**A/N: Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. The rest is me.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes worked her editor magic here.**

**Someone asked how many chapters are left. I have no idea. Not too many, that's all I can say. Less than 10?**

**A&A Ch. 25 (P&P Ch. 43)**

* * *

Emmett laughed heartily as Bella tripped over her skis again and went tumbling down the beginner's hill, cursing up a storm as she went. Expertly, he dug his picks into the cool, tightly packed snow and skied over to her, putting out a hand to help her.

"I think I've had enough of skiing for the day," Bella growled.

"We've only been doing it for a couple of hours!" Emmett chuckled. "We have all afternoon and all day tomorrow to make you an expert on the slopes!"

He tugged her up and she scowled at him, wiping away the snow on her face before patting off the snow on her ass. This just made Emmett laugh harder.

"I think I'm ready to wave the white flag here and head back to the city," Bella muttered.

"Not gonna happen, little cuz. I'll have you skiing down Devil's Peak by tomorrow afternoon if it's the last thing I do."

Bella rolled her eyes and tried to walk away from him, but only managed to fall once again.

"If you insist on taking me up there it'll be the last thing _I_ do."

Emmett chortled. "Alright, alright, are you ready for a break?"

Bella nodded vehemently, struggling to get up once more.

"I'm going to end up with a break - one way or another."

Emmett laughed as he pulled her up once more. "Come on, let's go get lunch."

They stopped in at their hotel first, to change into dry clothes – or rather so that Bella could change into dry clothes. Emmett waited in the lobby, and after Bella peeled out of her snow pants and sweatshirt, she changed into a pretty, fitted purple turtleneck sweater paired with cream-colored skinny corduroys and tall boots. Then she went down to meet him. On her way down, she texted Alice and learned that she was doing just fine. She'd spent the morning hanging out with her friend, and they were also on their way to lunch. Bella quickly told her about her trouble staying upright in skis, and Alice responded that she hated to say it, but she was glad she hadn't gone.

Bella chuckled quietly as she approached Emmett, who was talking and laughing with a pretty receptionist. He grinned at Bella and walked towards her.

"I was getting directions. Ready to go?"

As they drove through the snow-filled Finger Lakes region, Emmett pointed out the sites as well as gave her a brief history of the area. The region was so named because of the various lakes that surrounded it, long and narrow and sort of shaped like fingers. The area was a popular tourist destination, and as Bella looked out her window, she could definitely see the appeal - even in the winter: rolling hills with pristine white snow-peaks, 18th century buildings, snow-covered woodland areas, and all of it surrounded by frozen lakes that sparkled in the sunlight. It was also clear that Emmett had greatly enjoyed spending four years in the area while he'd gone to Cornell pre-med.

So distracted was Bella in the scenery that she didn't notice that they'd arrived at the restaurant until they circled around it to find parking for their rental. When she exited the car, she took in her surroundings. It was a beautiful area – probably the prettiest she'd seen so far. Just beyond the restaurant lay acres and acres of farmland, though what they were growing she couldn't tell since it was all covered in snow. A majestic, white house seemed to rise just above a small hill about three-quarters of a mile away, surrounded on either side by more farmland. And just beyond everything, a glorious, white lake made the entire scene picture-postcard perfect. Bella sighed; she had never seen anything for which nature had done so much. She glanced up at the restaurant in front of her-

-and froze:

Pemberley Vineyards Restaurant.

Emmett stopped and looked at her.

"Is something wrong?"

She looked around. "This…this is Pemberley Vineyards?"

Emmett nodded. "Yup. Impressive, isn't it? You should see it in the spring and summer, when the grapevines are in full swing - so to say. Beautiful. It's also got one of the best restaurants in the area and the prices are pretty reasonable, believe it or not - especially for lunch. My friends and I used to come up here every once in a while. There's also this cool wine-tasting room in the back," he grinned.

Bella still hadn't moved – or taken her eyes off of the restaurant. Her heart raced in her chest.

"I…I…actually, Emmett, I'm not all that hungry. Maybe we should just go get pizza?"

"They make the most delicious White Pizza here."

"Chinese?"

"They've got a kick-ass Pad Thai."

Bella stared up at the restaurant's sign, walking stiffly while Emmett practically dragged her inside. They were greeted by a friendly hostess and Bella literally shook in her boots as they were led to a booth by a window.

The restaurant itself was warm and inviting - full of long, floor to ceiling windows; the view inside was as beautiful as that outside. A huge, stone fireplace at the very end of the room kept the entire space toasty. Soft, friendly voices lingered in the air, as well as the sounds of utensils and plates being moved and served.

"Bella, you look white as a ghost! Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." Bella swallowed thickly. She picked up her menu and hid behind it, her eyes moving all around the room, searching.

Unaware that she'd even ordered, a few minutes later her White Pizza arrived, and Bella ate it robotically, her throat dry as sand.

"Bella!"

"Huh?"

Emmett chuckled. "I asked how your pizza was."

"Oh. It's…delicious actually." Though she had absolutely no appetite, she could tell that had she been hungry, it would've been absolutely decadent.

"Yeah, I told you," Emmett grinned. "Do you want to try my steak?"

"No, I'm good," she answered distractedly, her eyes roaming around the restaurant.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Huh? What? I'm not looking for anyone." She took another bite of her pizza, chewing methodically, keeping her eyes down.

"Oh, that's right. You know him, don't you?"

"Know who?" Bella asked, meeting Emmett's curious gaze.

"The owner of Pemberley Vineyards. I remember your buddy Mike mentioning that you knew him. What's his name again?" Emmett snapped his fingers - trying to recall. "Oh yeah, Edward Cullen."

"First of all, Mike is not my buddy," Bella answered. "And second of all…"

Emmett leaned over the table, closer to her. "Second of all, what?"

Just then the restaurant manager approached their booth.

"How was your lunch, guys?"

"It was great," Emmett grinned, patting his stomach. "Best steak I've had in a while."

"And you, Miss?" the gentleman asked, his expression friendly and genuinely curious.

"It was very good, thank you."

The manager grinned proudly. "We strive for the best here at Pemberley. Our owner would accept nothing less."

"Edward Cullen?" Emmett asked.

The manager grinned wider. "Yes, Edward. Do you know him?"

Emmett shook his head. "Not me, personally. But my cousin here does." He jerked his head towards Bella with an amused twitch of the mouth.

Now the manager looked over at Bella, grinning as if he'd just made a lifelong friend.

"Do you really, Miss? Edward has grown up to be a great guy, just like his dad."

"Did you know his father?" Bella found herself asking.

The gentleman nodded. "I've been working here for over fifteen years. I started out as a busboy, but Edward Sr. himself looked out for me. The Cullen family provides scholarships for employees who show drive and potential, and I was able to go to culinary school, and well, here I am, manager of this fine establishment. In the past couple of years, Edward Jr. has even expanded the program. He's extremely generous with his employees and with the entire community."

Bella sat quietly, stunned.

"May I ask how you know him, Miss?"

"I…I…spent some time with him and his friends over the summer."

"He's a good guy, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's a good guy."

"May I ask your name?"

"Uhm…"

"It's Bella. Bella Swan. And I'm her cousin, Emmett," Emmett answered cheerfully.

"Well, Bella and Emmett, dessert is on the house. Why don't you take a look at the menu, and then let our server know what you'd like, okay?"

Emmett grinned hungrily. "Sounds good."

As soon as the manager walked away, Bella leaned into her cousin.

"Why did you tell him our names?" she hissed quietly.

"Should I not have? Are you wanted for some crime I don't know about?" Emmett questioned with a smirk.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "No. It's just that…."

"Just that _what_?"

She sat back slowly, but didn't answer. Instead, when the waiter came she ordered a chocolate cake without even looking at the menu.

Bella ate her dessert quietly, once again noting how darn delicious the chewy concoction was, even though her stomach was so tied up in knots she regretted that she couldn't even really enjoy it.

Once again, the manager, who introduced himself as Mr. Reynolds, came back to them.

"So how was dessert?"

"This here was the best damn New York State Cheesecake I have ever had in my life!" Emmett said through a mouthful of cake.

Mr. Reynolds beamed. "And you, Bella? How was your chocolate cake?"

"It really was wonderful," Bella responded honestly.

"Good," Mr. Reynolds smiled proudly. "We use only the best ingredients – like genuine Valhalla chocolate from the Valhalla region not too far from here. We try to source from the local growers as much as possible because Edward is adamant about helping the local farmers."

Bella stared at him, mouth slightly ajar.

"Does…Edward spend much time up here?"

"Not as much as we wish he would," Mr. Reynolds confessed with a shake of his head. "The vineyard is always more cheerful when he and his sister, Rosalie, are home. Though now that he's completed medical school, we hope to see him more often, even with the medical practice he'll be running in the city. He mentioned trying to spend as many weekends up here as possible. He's always loved the region, and it shows in the way he cares for it. And Rosalie spends as much time as she can up here too."

"Do you know…if he's up here right now?" Bella asked, hoping no one had picked up on the way her voice shook around the question.

She almost sighed out loud in relief when Mr. Reynolds shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Last I heard he was trying to take care of some things down in the city so that he and Rosalie could come up in a couple of days, on Christmas Eve. He's such a good brother to her; she's lucky to have him after having lost their parents so young."

"I'm sure she is," Bella murmured quietly, thinking to herself just how true that fact was.

"You speak so highly of him," Emmett cut in, looking at Bella as he spoke, "but I've heard from some people that he can be pretty arrogant."

At this, Mr. Reynolds shook his head vehemently. "Edward isn't arrogant, at least no more than a young man as successful as he is deserves to be. He, as well as his father before him, and his sister Rosalie, are unfortunately very shy, and I know that sometimes when people first meet them, their first inclination is to think them arrogant. But they've simply always had trouble opening up right away. Once you get to know them though, you see them for what they really are."

Bella nodded, remembering how close Alice's own words had been to Mr. Reynolds'.

Mr. Reynolds clapped his hands. "Well, if you've finished your desserts, I'd love to invite you both to our wine-tasting room. We give tours of the vineyards in the warmer months, but I'm afraid it's too cold for that now."

"Oh, that's a shame," Bella said, with a genuinely sorry smile. Now that she knew that Edward wouldn't be catching her on his property, she realized she really would've enjoyed exploring the beauty of the grounds a bit more.

"But the wine room is just behind the restaurant," Mr. Reynolds offered as consolation, "and if you'd like to follow me, I could personally escort you around."

Bella saw the way Emmett's eyes lit up at that, and she had to admit it did sound like fun.

"What do you say, Cuz?" Emmett asked, his expression pleading.

"Sure," Bella smiled.

OOOOOOOOOO

As they walked through the wine-room, Mr. Reynolds in front explaining the history of Pemberley Vineyards to them, Emmett leaned into Bella.

"The picture Mr. Reynolds paints of Edward isn't the same one your buddy Mike painted of him a few months ago, is it?"

Bella's nostrils flared. "First of all, like I said, Mike is _not_ my buddy. Second, what if Mr. Reynolds is exaggerating?"

Emmett smirked at her. "I doubt that highly. Have you ever seen a man more happy with his job and employer?"

Bella shook her head that she hadn't.

While Mr. Reynolds described the different grapes they grew in the fields and the different harvest schedules, a few pictures hanging on some simple, yet elegant black frames caught her eye. She walked over to them and saw that they were pictures of the vineyards over different summers. One picture in particular held her attention. Standing in front of the fields of white grapes were three young children. Bella recognized Edward and his disarming green eyes right away.

Mr. Reynolds came to stand next to her. "There's Edward himself," he confirmed, "when he was about thirteen. His dad taught him from the very beginning that an owner and employer needs to go into the fields and roll his sleeves up and help out. To this day, he still helps out whenever he can."

"You respect him very much, don't you, Mr. Reynolds?" Bella murmured, without taking her eyes off the picture. Even at thirteen, Edward was a cute kid.

"I believe that people earn respect," Mr. Reynolds responded solemnly, "and Edward has definitely earned all our respect."

Bella was quiet for a few seconds. "Is that Rosalie?" she questioned, looking at the beautiful little girl at Edward's side.

"Yes. Wasn't she a beautiful little girl? She's about the same age as my daughter, now," Mr. Reynolds exclaimed.

"And who is that boy on the other side of Edward?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw Mr. Reynolds make a face. "That is the son of an old friend of the Cullens. His father was the late Edward Cullen Senior's attorney. He was a great man, but unfortunately, the apple fell far from the tree in that case. As I recall, Mike was never fond of helping out around the vineyard, despite the fact that half the time he acted like he owned the place, always ordering everyone around," Mr. Reynolds scowled. "We don't really see him up in these parts anymore, thank goodness."

Bella said nothing to all this, only thinking about how much it all confirmed what she'd learned from that letter a few weeks ago.

And to think, that she may have someday been able to roam freely around all this beauty! To possibly even call it-

No, she couldn't think that way. It did no use to think that way, even if at this moment she'd never felt regret so heavily in her heart. The praise bestowed on Edward by Mr. Reynolds was nothing to be taken lightly. What could be more valuable than the praise of not only an employee, but also an old family friend, someone who'd known him since childhood? And then she thought of how generous and kind and caring he obviously was, with family, friends, employees, the community!

Lost in her thoughts, she barely took note of Mr. Reynolds handing her a glass of white wine instead of the small, plastic cups generally handed out in wine-tasting rooms. She walked out onto the wide, open patio attached to the room, gazing out at the fields that had been obviously tended to with so much love and care. She thought of the feelings that Edward had expressed to her - that day that now felt like ages ago - and now felt so much more than gratitude. She felt warmth that filled her heart; that erased all the other awkward words he'd spoken – that made her chest expand and ache all at once.

Bella looked out at the rows and rows of frozen plants and brought the wine glass to her lips, her gaze unfocused as she remembered the look on Edward's face the last time she'd seen him, the shock in his eyes-

-quite similar to the shock in his eyes now - as he looked up at her out on the open patio.

Bella drew in a sharp gasp, while Edward gazed at her as if he were seeing a ghost.

Both stood frozen to their spots, until Bella, filled with embarrassment and mortification quickly ran back into the tasting room, where Emmett was sipping his own wine and in deep discussion with Mr. Reynolds.

"Emmett, we have to leave – right now!"

"Why, what happened?" Emmett frowned.

She looked back and forth, searching for a place to set down her wine glass, and anxiously set it over one of the wine bottle displays.

"We just have to go!" she hissed desperately and turned to leave.

"Bella!"

It was _him_ – Edward.

She froze in place yet again – her heart hammering against her ribs. Closing her eyes and swallowing thickly, she turned around.

He'd apparently come up through the patio, and now he stood just a few feet from her, strong shoulders rising and falling, green eyes blazing. His hair was in a perfect disarray of thick, bronze locks. It shocked her how much she wanted to reach out and run her hands through it.

He gazed at her with as much confusion as apprehension, but when he spoke his words were calm and composed.

"How are you, Bella?"

"I'm…okay, thanks. And you?"

"Hanging in there."

Uncomfortable Silence.

"How has your family been?"

"They've been okay, thanks."

"Good. That's good to know. And you, how have you been?"

As mortified as she felt, her lips couldn't help but twitch with amusement at his repeated inquiry.

"I've been alright."

"It's…surprising to see you here."

Bella bit her lip. She could feel the heat in her face. Why oh why hadn't they just left after lunch? This must have all looked so conveniently set up to him, her sudden appearance here. But then again, Mr. Reynolds had said he wasn't supposed to show up until Christmas Eve, a couple of days from now.

Bella decided to make it clear that she hadn't been trying to purposely run into him.

"I'm spending the holidays in New York City, and with the snow expected for the next couple of days, Emmett thought it would be a good idea to come up to Ithaca for a couple of days and do some skiing."

At this, Edward's eyes flashed quickly to the man standing just off to the side, this…Emmett, who seemed to be watching him with no little amusement, sipping slowly on his glass of wine. Edward's eyes hardened for a split second, but then with a deep breath, he continued his conversation with Bella.

"And how are you enjoying the area?"

"It's really very beautiful," she said honestly.

Edward nodded. They gazed at each other silently for a few seconds, but then Edward turned away from her, though it seemed almost begrudgingly, and took a couple of quick strides towards Emmett.

"Edward Cullen," he introduced himself, putting a hand out in a show of impeccable manners.

"Emmett Jenks," Emmett introduced himself, shaking Edward's hand heartily, "Bella's cousin."

At this, Edward's eyes grew wide. His shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Bella's…cousin?"

"Yup," Emmett grinned. "Her cousin. I went to school in the area and wanted to show Bella around."

Edward grinned.

"Mr. Reynolds said you weren't due back up here for a couple of days," Bella blurted, still anxious to make it known that she hadn't planned any of this.

Edward quickly turned his attention back to Bella, nervously running a hand through his hair. "Oh. Well, yes, he was right. But I was able to finish everything off in the city earlier than I thought, so Rosalie and I decided to come home."

"Oh," Bella said.

Another silence filled the space around them, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

"Well, it was good to see you-" Bella began, while Edward's heart thumped desperately, searching for words to keep her near, but none immediately came to mind.

"Edward," Mr. Reynolds cut in quickly, "I mentioned to Bella earlier that during the warmer months we give tours of the vineyards. She sounded extremely disappointed that no tours were going on now." He smiled quietly at the young man he'd known since childhood.

"I could take you for a tour," Edward volunteered.

"I'd hate to bother-"

"It would be no bother at all. I mean," he smiled sheepishly, and Bella noted how disarming a sheepish Edward could be, "it's a bit of a walk, but as I recall, Bella, you're pretty fond of walking."

Bella couldn't help grinning at his observation.

"You're right. I am pretty fond of walking."

Edward grinned with his entire being, and once again, Bella found herself disarmed.

OOOOOOOOOO

In this almost defenseless and bewildered state of mind, Bella walked through the vineyards next to Edward. And though he didn't touch her, the heat that had always emanated off of his body kept her warm. Mr. Reynolds accompanied them – walking just a few feet behind with Emmett.

Sparkling, white snow covered almost every surface they passed – from the tree branches up above them to the bare grapevines held up by rows and rows of poles. Edward pointed out which sections grew which grapes, the harvest seasons for each, and generally all types of information. Mr. Reynolds had been right; Edward's depth of knowledge made it obvious that he'd spent plenty of time out in these fields himself. In addition, the velvet timbre of his voice as he spoke made all the information he conveyed all the more interesting. Bella was soon deeply interested in all he said, in everything he pointed out.

Having spent four years in an area with so many vineyards, Emmett himself had become pretty familiar with the subject, and soon he and Edward were in deep discussion about wines and grapes. Bella took this time to gather her thoughts – though she couldn't help smiling to herself as she looked down at her feet at the fact that Edward seemed to be quite engaged in listening to the opinion of one of her "lowly" relatives.

But what else was going through his mind?

What did he think of her - of her being here at Pemberley Vineyards now? Did he think anything of it at all? Did he still have those feelings towards her that he'd expressed that day that now seemed so long ago, or was she no more than a tourist to his vineyards to him? No, Bella knew this last thought to be wrong. Whether seeing her had caused him pain or pleasure she hadn't been able to tell, but it had been clear he'd felt _something_. The problem was that she had no idea what.

Eventually, they'd walked all the way up to the elegant, white house that Bella had seen from the restaurant, and now Bella looked up and could see it for all its glory. It was a huge house, but somehow she could feel the warmth emanating from within it. There were windows everywhere, which assured her that on the inside the house must've been light and airy. In addition, the windows all had bright blue shutters, which gave it a splash of color and life. A wrap-around porch seemed to go around the whole house, and a couple of white, wooden swings graced each side of the double-door entry. A huge, green wreath with a big red bow had been hung on either door, and in contrast to the warm whiteness of the house, they stood out beautifully. Vividly red winter poinsettias inside of big, dark pots decorated each step up to the porch. Bushes cut into decorative shapes as well as those in their natural form were all set out in a pleasing and soothing landscape around the house.

"Wow," Bella found herself murmuring.

Edward leaned in carefully; his breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "Do you like everything so far?"

Bella shivered, acutely aware of his proximity, intoxicated by the freshness of his breath. She could feel his eyes intently on her.

"Everything is perfect," she breathed with intensity. "A person couldn't ask for _anything_ more."

And then realizing how her words could be construed, she felt her face heat again, and looked down – though she could still feel him gazing at her.

"Man, med-school better pay off because I'd seriously love a place like this someday," Emmett chuckled.

Bella felt Edward turn away from her. "You're in medical school?" he asked her cousin.

"Yup," Emmett grinned proudly. "Second year. Cornell, down in the city."

Edward grinned. "My dad went to Cornell. It's a great school. Listen, I just finished up my medical degree myself a few months ago. If you ever want to talk…perhaps need advice on planning courses, or a good word for an internship…or if you just want to bounce around some ideas on specialties you might be considering, let me know."

Emmett nodded his head happily before looking over at Bella with equal parts astonishment and awe. "I may just take you up on that."

However, Bella was just as shocked as Emmett seemed to be. She kept wondering why he was acting so kind, so helpful. It couldn't possibly be for her benefit, could it? He couldn't possibly have taken her accusations of his arrogance to heart, could he? He couldn't possibly still be…in love with her.

Could he?

Emmett and Mr. Reynolds abruptly walked away, both suddenly obtaining an apparently acute interest in the winter foliage of the trees a few feet away, and Bella was left alone with Edward.

"I really didn't know you'd be here," she repeated once again, for no other reason than she didn't know what else to say.

"Does it bother you that I am?" he asked.

Again, Bella didn't know how to answer. Her tongue had never felt so tied and unsure in all her life.

But Edward saved her from having to answer one way or the other.

"Like I said, I finished up in the city early, and Rosalie and I decided to come home. We've always felt…more at peace here than anywhere else, and lately, well, we've both needed some peace."

Bella only answered with a nod, eyes still cast down, wishing that she could just shrivel up and disappear - because she suspected she may have been the reason why Edward felt he needed peace.

"Bella, if it's not too much to ask," Edward murmured quietly in that soft yet firm velvet voice that she'd never until today heard him use before, "I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Rose."

At this, Bella looked up, startled, and met his gaze again.

"She's heard me talk about you and…" Edward continued with a shrug, "…she would've liked to have met you."

"I…"

"Rose isn't home right now," Edward went on quickly. "She's actually coming up with Jasper and his cousins later on tonight, but if you don't mind, I'd love to bring her over just for a quick introduction."

"I think that's a great idea!" Emmett answered for Bella, approaching them again. "Listen, Edward, Bella hasn't taken too fondly to her skiing lessons. I think I might be going too hard on her. She might need someone more…patient to help her out. Why don't you guys come meet us tomorrow morning, and we'll all go skiing? That way you can give me some help with this one here out on the bunny trail." Emmett grinned impishly.

But Edward completely missed the impish grin because his eyes rested helplessly on Bella. "If Bella doesn't mind, I'd love to…help out and join you both tomorrow, and I'm sure Rosalie and the rest would too."

Bella nodded up and down slowly.

Edward drew in a deep breath and let it out through narrowed lips that widened into a smile.

Emmett clapped his hands together. "Then it's set. We'll see you all tomorrow!"

Then Edward asked them all if they'd like to come inside the house to warm up and rest before heading back up the hill to the car, which had been left by the restaurant. But Bella – more than a little bewildered and dizzy – reminded Edward that she loved to walk.

Besides, she thought to herself, she needed the cold air on her face to cool her down.

As the four walked back the way they came, Emmett and Mr. Reynolds behind and Edward and Bella up front, Edward inquired as to what she'd been spending her time doing in New York City, and Bella filled him in on all the sights she'd seen. Edward listened intently, and then said,

"Well, you know, there's still a lot you haven't done."

And it seemed to Bella as if it was an invitation to something, but Edward left it at that, and so did she.

Once they'd reached the restaurant, Mr. Reynolds said his goodbyes and walked inside, while Emmett climbed into the driver's seat to start the car and warm it up.

And once again, it seemed as if there were a million words between Edward and Bella, but none that could be verbalized.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Bella finally said.

Edward nodded, his green eyes warm despite the chill in the air. He swallowed before speaking.

"I'll be looking forward to it – and I'm sure Rose will too." The last part was thrown in almost as an afterthought, as if a way to temper and hide some emotion.

And as she began to turn away from him to get in the car, his hand shot out, the way it had that day in Madrona. But instead of reaching out for her, he paused in mid-air and brought it back to run through his own hair.

Bella wasn't sure if she was relieved – or heartbreakingly disappointed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella." And with that, he turned and walked back towards the big white house, anxious hands stuffed stiffly in his pockets.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	26. A&A Ch 26 (P&P Chs 44 & 45)

**A/N: In keeping with more modern times, there are a few little changes in the chapter I think (I hope) you'll all like!**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. I'm just blending the two.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is my wonderful beta!**

**A&A Chapter 26 (P&P Chs. 44 & 45)**

* * *

Bella paced up and down the hotel lobby, glancing out of the glass doors every few seconds, and then resuming her pacing.

From the lobby couch, Emmett watched her with no little amusement, his hand resting over the back casually.

"You're about to wear a hole into that carpet," he snorted.

She looked up at him and smirked. "I am not."

"Bella, you're making me think things here. I mean, why are you so nervous? It's not like you."

"I'm _not_ nervous," Bella insisted.

Emmett chuckled and walked over to his cousin.

"Well, you're definitely something! Look at you. Your cheeks are red, your eyes are bright and your breathing is all uneven. Medically, it looks like a panic attack. But I've got a feeling it's a bit more…involved than that." He grinned knowingly.

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Emmett. What if Edward's sister doesn't like me?"

He started laughing. "First of all, why wouldn't she like you? You're a cool, likable person. Second, why are you so worried about what Edward's sister thinks of you?"

Bella didn't answer, but Emmett had seen enough between yesterday and today to guess at the answer to that question, as well as many others that had arisen as he'd been having lunch with his favorite cousin yesterday.

He started chuckling at her again, but then his chuckles died down and with a smile still on his face he jerked his head towards the door, signaling for Bella to turn around.

When she did, Edward was walking through the hotel doors into the lobby. His tall, confident figure attracted the attention of everyone around. It could also have been that he was accompanied by one of the most beautiful girls Bella had ever seen.

His eyes found hers right away, and he and the girl walked over to her.

Edward gave her one of those slightly sheepish grins he'd given her a few times yesterday – the ones that made her heart beat against her ribs.

"Hi, Bella. How was the rest of your day yesterday?"

"It was good, thanks."

"Did you go back out and try your hand – or legs, I should say - at skiing again?"

"No," Bella snorted. "If I had, I probably wouldn't be standing on both legs here in front of you right now."

Edward laughed heartily, while Bella stood stock still, transfixed by the sight of a laughing Edward. It was even better than a sheepishly grinning Edward.

His laughter subsided, and with his eyes still locked with Bella's, he signaled with a hand toward the girl next to him.

"Bella, this is my little sister, Rosalie. She's been anxious to meet you. Rose, _this_ is Bella."

He said those last few words with so much intensity that it seemed to Bella as if he may have exaggerated her to his sister, which served to make her all the more nervous.

The blonde beauty next to him offered Bella a small smile. "Hi, Bella."

"Hey, Rose," Bella said in a friendly tone. "It's good to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from your brother."

The small smile Rose wore expanded slightly. "He's told me a lot about you, too."

"Uh oh," Bella joked, "that can't be good."

Edward chuckled, and Rose's unsure smile grew even more. "He's had nothing but wonderful things to say about you."

Bella felt herself blushing, and when she looked at Edward, his cheeks appeared to be reddening also.

Thankfully, at just that moment, Bella heard Emmett clearing his throat behind her.

"Oh!" She moved aside slightly. "Rose, this is my cousin, Emmett."

Bella noticed Rosalie's eyes widen slightly at the sight of Emmett, but then she offered him a smile as small as the one she'd first offered Bella and mumbled her greetings.

With no little surprise, Bella realized that every story she'd heard about Rosalie Cullen being arrogant had been a lie. She was simply shy – as shy as her brother had apparently been when he'd first met Bella. It was surprising because she was absolutely breathtaking: long, blonde hair that fell to almost her waist, deep blue eyes, and a figure that belonged on a runway.

"I hope you don't mind, Bella, but I brought along a few others."

Bella cocked her head to the side.

"Jasper is looking for parking, and he's with his cousins."

Bella hardly had time to react before Jasper walked through the lobby - followed by Irina, James and Tanya.

"Bella!" Jasper greeted her with a warm hug, and Bella realized that she no longer felt any anger towards him, and even if she had, it would've melted away with the undisguised gratification he displayed at seeing her.

"How have you been?" he asked when he pulled away from the hug.

"Good," she chuckled, "and you?"

He shrugged. "Okay. And how's your family?"

"They're good," Bella smiled.

Jasper sighed. "Everybody?"

Bella smiled. "Yes, everybody."

Bella received not-quite-as-warm greetings from the rest of Jasper's family, and she responded in kind.

After all introductions were made, the group stood around for a few moments, making small talk. Emmett didn't fail to notice that no matter who Edward was speaking to, his eyes inevitably tended to stray to Bella, and it was obvious that he was in love. Whether Bella felt the same remained to be seen, but Emmett was determined to find out.

And being such a keen observer, he also hadn't failed to realize how extremely beautiful Edward's sister, Rosalie, was. But she was obviously still pretty young, and Emmett didn't play around that way. Who knew? Maybe if things between his cousin and Edward worked out, in a few years…

As for Bella, when seeing Jasper, her thoughts had naturally turned to Alice. She'd texted with her earlier today and was happy to know that Alice seemed to be enjoying her time with her friend in Long Island. But she longed to know what Jasper's feelings for Alice now were. A couple of times she caught him looking at her, as if he wanted to ask something, but then he'd look around at the rest of the group and simply grin at what everyone was saying. Bella also took notice of his behavior towards Rosalie – which was actually practically non-existent. He didn't seem to regard her with any more attention than anyone else, which served to convince Bella that what Tanya had hinted at in her text to Alice those few months back had definitely been a lie – there were no feelings between Rosalie and Jasper.

"So since you seem to have received a reprieve last night, are you ready to go try again?" Edward asked Bella in a smooth, soothing tone.

Bella drew in a deep breath – and nodded.

As the group walked out of the lobby, Jasper fell behind and in step with Bella, who'd been lost in thought.

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other," he said, his tone holding more than just a hint of regret.

"Yes, it has," Bella smiled, using the same tone.

"Almost four months, since the party at Netherfield. Are…you and your cousin Emmett the only ones up here in Ithaca at the moment?"

Bella nodded with a sad smile.

He smiled back just as sadly, and then with his hands in his pockets, he walked on to catch up with his cousins.

And then Edward appeared at Bella's side, quietly, not really saying much of anything. And though it was strange, any melancholy she may have started to feel quickly disappeared.

OOOOOOOOOO

The comradery that seemed to have developed between Emmett and Edward continued throughout their walk to the slopes, except that now they were joined by Jasper. The three men appeared to have fallen into an instant friendship.

As for Bella, she walked with Rosalie, who had started to open up a bit more and now conversed happily and comfortably with Bella.

Still, no matter what group they were in or who they were speaking to, Edward and Bella's eyes continually met, and then one or the other would smile, followed by the other. It was such a great change from what their volatile relationship had been in Forks, especially that last scene in Madrona, and Bella's mind still reeled in astonishment. Never, not in the company of his friends at Netherfield, nor with his aunt in Madrona, had she seen Edward so carefree, so friendly and so unencumbered by obligation and reserve.

When they at last reached their destination, Bella looked up at the lift with no little trepidation. Edward stood next to her quietly.

Tanya slinked up to them, decked out in her expensive, flashy ski gear. "Bella, dear, what seems to be the matter?"

"I'm a bit nervous," Bella admitted, biting her lip.

"You mean you've never been on a lift before?"

Bella shook her head.

"You mean you don't _ski_?" Tanya cried out in disbelief.

Again, Bella shook her head.

Tanya snorted. "Goodness! You really are in a class all by yourself! Well, look over there," She used her ski pole to point over to the small beginner's mound where Emmett had taken her yesterday. "That's for people like you," she said with no little disdain. "Edward and I, and the rest," she added quickly, "will be on the hills designed for those of us who know what we're doing. We'll meet you later!"

And with that, she skied away confidently towards the lift, followed by James and Irina.

Jasper shook his head and skied over to Bella - followed by Emmett and Rose.

"Hey, don't listen to Tanya. Do you want us to stay down here with you?" Jasper asked.

Edward answered for her. "No, you guys go on ahead. I've got her."

Bella whipped her head over to Edward. "No, that's fine Edward. I don't want to ruin anyone's fun."

But Emmett was already pulling Jasper away, grinning, and Rosalie was hesitantly following the two men.

"She'll be fine," Emmett called out, eyes on Bella. "Edward's got her. Come on, guys! Let's go! Woohoo!"

"Edward, you don't have to stay with-"

"Hey, do you trust me?" Edward suddenly asked.

Bella gasped quietly, but before she could answer either way, Edward took her gloved hand and carefully led her towards the lift. When she saw where he was taking her, she stopped.

"Edward, I really can't-"

He held her gaze. "Trust me, Bella."

It was no longer a question, but a plea.

She still couldn't answer, but Edward accepted her silence and carefully guided her the rest of the way.

Tanya, who was stuck in a lift with James and Irina several feet above Edward and Bella, was shocked when she saw the two get on together.

"Edward! Edward what are you doing?" she called down desperately.

Edward looked over at Bella to make sure she was okay before adjusting himself in his seat.

"Edward! Bella!"

He grinned at Bella.

"Don't answer her."

Bella chuckled. "I wasn't going to."

"Edward! Bella! Edward, where are you getting off?"

Edward and Bella looked at each other and broke out into fits of laughter.

As they approached the very first stop, Edward held Bella's gaze carefully.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay, then...jump!"

Edward and Bella jumped off of the lift.

"Edward! Edward, wait for me! I'll be down there as soon as possible! _Edward_!"

Edward and Bella laughed and laughed until Bella could barely breathe anymore.

"Are you going to be okay?" Edward asked Bella, leaning down to look at her while Bella held her stomach.

"I feel like I should be asking you that!"

He chuckled and abruptly reached out and wrapped his gloved hands around her arms, standing her upright once more.

Bella's laughter ceased.

"Now," he smiled gently, his eyes sparkling in the cool sun, "this is a bit higher than the small hill you were practicing on yesterday, but I'll be with you every step of the way, okay?"

Swallowing thickly, Bella nodded.

Edward patiently taught Bella how to stand in the snow, and then how to start gliding her skis carefully over it. Filled with fear of falling and breaking a leg, Bella wasn't the quickest learner; she'd fumble often, and Edward would put out a steadying hand to keep her upright. He tried to teach her how to use the poles to balance and steady herself, but Bella kept slipping.

Edward sighed, his green eyes dancing with amusement.

Bella pursed her lips. "I told you I sucked at this."

He chuckled and then watching her carefully said, "Let's try something different. Do you trust me?"

With slight irritation at her predicament, Bella responded. "Well, being as you're my only hope at getting off of this hill in one piece, I guess I have to, don't I?"

Edward's mouth twitched around a smirk. "And I guess I'll have to accept that as your answer – for now."

Bella watched curiously as Edward removed his thick ski gloves and stuck one in each pocket.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"Give me your poles," he instructed. She handed them over obediently, and Edward gingerly gathered them together with his own and shoved them under one arm. Then, with his eyes once again on hers, he reached out and wrapped his hands around her waist.

Bella inhaled sharply.

"Now put your hands on my shoulders and I'll guide you, just until you get the hang of it."

Wide-eyed, hyper-aware of the heat that flowed from his bare hands all the way through her thick snow jacket, Bella nodded.

With his hands on her waist and her hands on his shoulders, Edward guided her slowly through the snow, smoothly instructing her on how to place her skis - first together and then apart, gliding her easily forward. After a few minutes, she felt herself relax in his hold. Feeling safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't let her fall - and feeling warm from his touch - she began doing much better.

"There you go," he grinned, an impish glow in his eyes. "You're skiing."

"I am!" she laughed. "I really am!"

Bella wasn't sure how much time they spent with him holding her like that, teaching her to ski that way, but it felt wonderful; it felt…_right_.

"Edward! Edward, I'm here!"

All the warmth Bella had been feeling leached out of her body at the nasal sound of that voice, and as she instinctively turned to it, she lost her footing. Edward gripped her waist tightly to try to keep her from going down, but all he managed to do was lose his own footing at her panicky movements. Luckily, when he fell, she landed sprawled on top of him.

They gazed at each other, wide-eyed and shocked, his hands still on her waist, her hands still on his shoulders. Bella felt his warm breath on her cheek, and it sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

"Here, Bella, _I'll help you up,_" someone hissed between obviously tightly clenched teeth, and then Bella felt herself being yanked by the arm forcefully, her entire body protesting at the loss of Edward's body heat.

She looked up into Tanya's face, and the hatred in her eyes couldn't even be disguised.

"Enjoying your ski lesson?" Tanya questioned through a practically closed jaw.

Bella blinked a few times, trying to regain her bearings after the beautiful ski lesson from Edward and the…fortunate way he broke her fall, keeping her from breaking any bones.

Edward stood up, wiping the snow off of his jacket and ski pants. "Yes, Tanya, as a matter of fact, _we_ were _greatly_ enjoying the lesson."

Tanya's nostrils flared. Chest heaving, she stomped over to where Bella's ski poles lay in the snow with Edward's and picked them up, shoving them into Bella's hands.

"Don't you think you should learn how to do it _properly_ now?" Tanya seethed.

Bella held her ski poles and looked over at Edward. "I guess I should learn how to use these."

Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. He moved closer to Bella, and then reached out and gently wiped some snow off her cheek. "Yes, I suppose it would be a good idea."

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward and Bella spent the next couple of hours improving Bella's skill on the slopes, though not as pleasantly as the first couple of hours had been spent - since they had company now. The rest of the group had caught up with them, and though they were helpful and pleasant enough, neither could deny to themselves how much better it had been before. Rosalie helped Bella almost as much as her brother had, and by the end of the afternoon, they had Bella skiing slowly but confidently on her own.

And Tanya made sure to never leave their sight – ever helpful to Bella in her quest to stay upright.

Once ski time was over, Edward invited everyone back to the vineyard's restaurant, an invitation they all happily accepted. Mr. Reynolds appeared again, looking extremely pleased to see Bella once more. The way he doted on her over almost everyone else in the party, save Rosalie, was not missed by anyone, least of all by Tanya. And neither did Tanya fail to understand what this meant, because it was obvious how much Edward trusted and respected Mr. Reynolds as more than an employee, but as a friend.

And no one failed to notice that Edward had seated himself to the left of Bella, and it was to her that he turned when trying to decide what to order for the group, it was she whose opinion he gauged when perusing the menu. To most in the group, this ardent attention was cause for joy.

Tanya seethed quietly in her seat.

Jasper continued his earlier conversation with Bella, asking about all their old friends in Forks, asking about how she'd left things in New York City. All of his prodding, Bella realized, was a round-about way of asking about Alice, and she wished he would just simply come out and ask because her loyalty to her sister forbade her from saying anything - unless Jasper asked outright.

When Jasper began a different topic of conversation with Emmett, Bella sighed.

But she had her own questions occupying her mind: Why had that afternoon been one of the most enjoyable afternoons of her life? Why had she felt so warm with Edward's hands around her waist? Why had she never wanted to get up after falling on top of him?

She didn't hate him anymore - that was for damn sure. No, hatred had faded a long time ago, and she could now only feel ashamed that she'd ever had such dark feelings towards him. She respected him greatly; she knew of his high morals in dealing with his family and friends. But there was more.

Beyond her lack of hatred and new found respect for him, there was more. There was gratitude, not just for having loved her once, but for still being man enough to be so good to her despite the way she'd treated him, despite all the false accusations she'd laid at his feet. If anyone had asked her forty-eight hours ago what she thought Edward felt for her, she would've responded surely that he hated her and wished to never lay eyes on her again after the things she'd said and done to him. But not only had he seemed thrilled to see her, he'd brought his sister to meet her, the same sister he obviously adored. Then he'd spent the entire day with her and Emmett, being more than pleasant, more than kind to both.

Could he still possibly love her? Could that be it? And if so, how did she feel about that? Did she _want_ him to still love her?

Rosalie, seated to Bella's right, broke into her thoughts.

"Bella, Edward tells me that Forks is a beautiful town. I wish I could see it someday."

"Then you'll have to come and visit," Bella confirmed with a happy smile. "But it'll have to be soon, because I'll be finishing school up in Washington, and will be moving to New York City myself."

A huge grin lit up Rosalie's face at this news. "Oh my God, you're going to be living in New York? We can see each other all the time and hang out and be great friends!"

She seemed to have realized how great her enthusiasm had been, and unsure and still a slight bit shy with Bella, Rosalie tried to calm herself down.

"I mean," she shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "if you want to be friends."

Bella reached out and took the younger girl's hand, squeezing it tightly inside her own. "Of course I want to be your friend. You are one fun chick!"

Rosalie let out a slow breath and grinned from ear to ear.

"Now does that go for me too, Bella, when you come to live in New York?" Edward interrupted from her other side, grinning that carefree grin he'd developed in the past couple of days.

Bella grinned back, unable to resist teasing him a bit when he looked at her like that. "What exactly are you asking me, Edward? Do you want to know if I think you're a fun chick too?"

He threw his head back and laughed, and she watched him, mesmerized.

"Tell me, Bella, do you and your…sweet cousins still hang out with the boys from your uncle's McDonalds?"

Bella turned surprised eyes towards Tanya, who was sneering her way. The entire table – which had a second ago been teeming with loud and excited conversation – suddenly went silent.

"Not so much anymore, no," Bella responded.

"That must be such a loss to your family," Tanya snickered, taking a sip of her wine. Bella wondered fleetingly how many glasses she'd had so far.

"No, it's really not," Bella replied succinctly.

But Tanya wasn't done. Desperation had filled her with more hatred than usual, and the wine had made her careless.

"Who was that favorite one of yours, again?" She cocked her head sideways, pretending to think and ponder before snapping her fingers. "Oh yeah, Mike Newton - are you and he still those special sort of…_buddies_?" she spat.

Though Tanya had no idea what had happened between Mike and Rosalie, because it was something that Edward had never confided to anyone other than Bella, she knew enough to know that Edward and Mike were sworn enemies. Her intention hadn't been to hurt Rosalie, but rather to disconcert Bella, to force her to admit to feelings which would drive a wedge between her and Edward, and maybe even to remind Edward of the types of people with whom Bella and her family tended to associate.

She succeeded in none of those.

Rosalie gasped loudly at the mention of Mike's name, dropping her head and staring at her lap in shock. Bella, who'd still been holding her hand under the table, tightened her hold on her, giving her encouragement and support.

Bella then straightened her back and glared quietly at Tanya.

"He and I _never_ were, and _never_ will be buddies of _any_ kind."

And with that short answer, Bella turned disgusted eyes away from Tanya and focused on the shaking girl next to her.

Conversation around the table resumed, and Bella leaned into her new friend, still gripping her hand.

"Hey," she whispered quietly. Rose looked up at her warily. Bella tried to give her an encouraging smile.

"It's okay," she assured her quietly yet firmly. "You'll never have to deal with any part of him again, not if your brother or I have anything to do with it. I promise you that."

Rosalie seemed to relax at Bella's words. She drew in a deep breath and sighed.

"You okay?" Bella asked.

Rosalie nodded, appearing much calmer.

Then Emmett, who'd been sitting to Rosalie's right, said something to her, and Rosalie's attention was soon fully diverted to that side of the table.

Bella sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. Suddenly, she felt a burning warmth engulf her left hand. When she reopened her eyes and looked down, Edward's hand was wrapped around hers. She looked up and into his blazing gaze, full of so much love and gratitude she could no longer doubt what his feeling towards her were – what they'd been all along.

"Thank you for that," he mouthed fiercely, the look in his eyes telling her how much he meant it - and so much more.

She sighed unevenly, her chest rising and falling. "No need to thank me. It's simply the truth."

Dinner was followed by dessert, and after hours of pleasant conversation and distraction, Emmett and Bella admitted that they'd have to leave. They'd be returning to the city in the morning and needed a good night's rest for the drive.

Since Jasper and his family were staying with Rosalie and Edward, Edward asked Rose to please take everyone back to the house while he walked Emmett and Bella back to their rental car.

Emmett walked ahead quickly, locking himself in the car to warm it up – and to give Edward and Bella their privacy.

The two stood outside in front of the restaurant.

"I had a great time today," Edward murmured.

"I did too," Bella admitted.

"Are you sure that you and Emmett can't stay a couple of days longer and spend Christmas here with us?"

Bella smiled sadly. "Thank you, but no. Alice will be waiting for us."

Edward nodded his understanding. "Can I…would you mind if I stopped by tomorrow morning, before you return to the city? I'd like to...talk to you, about a few things."

Bella shook her head slowly.

Edward grinned impishly. "Does that mean no, you wouldn't mind, or no, you don't want me to stop by?"

Bella laughed at his playfulness. "It means no, I wouldn't mind you stopping by."

"Oh, okay," he chuckled. "I just want to be clear. You know, to avoid any misunderstandings."

She laughed at him.

Edward sighed, his green eyes sparkling in the setting sun. "In that case, I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Swan."

Bella grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Cullen."

They stood around uncertainly for a few seconds, Edward with his hands deep in his pockets, and then he slowly inclined his head, watching her the entire time, and Bella stood stock still, transfixed.

When his lips touched her forehead, Bella closed her eyes and gathering all her courage, lifted her head so that her mouth met his.

He groaned quietly, and gently sucked on her lips for a few moments before straightening up.

His eyes shone with happiness, and Bella couldn't help but beam at the expression on his face.

"Good night, sweet Bella."

"Good night, Edward."

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward walked back into his house in a daze, happier than he'd been his entire life.

Unfortunately, that happiness was temporarily doused when he heard the nasal voice emanating from his sitting room.

"I don't think that's very nice - or accurate," Rosalie was saying in response to whatever Tanya had just said.

Edward walked into the room where only Rose and Tanya presided.

"What's going on?"

His sister looked absolutely miserable. "Tanya's just…I don't know," she trailed off.

It had become quite obvious to Rosalie that her brother was deeply in love with Bella, and that right there had been enough to make Rose like the girl. Because she knew her brother, and she knew he had never given his heart easily, if at all. If Bella had managed to win it, she had to deserve it. What's more, it was also obvious that Edward had confided in Bella regarding what had happened between Mike and herself. She wasn't upset at all at her brother for confiding in Bella about this, because if he trusted her, then so did she.

Lastly, it had also always been sorely obvious to Rose that Tanya had always wanted her brother, but not out of love, simply out of lust and a desire for money.

Rose hated Tanya, but she'd been brought up to avoid outbursts and scenes at all costs.

So she kept her thoughts about Tanya to herself.

"I was just telling Rose," Tanya said, "how _horrible_ Bella looks! I've never in my life seen someone's looks go downhill so quickly! She's so pale and dull! Ugh! Irina and I were saying before that we would've never recognized her if we'd run into her on the street!"

Edward had also been brought up to follow certain social rules and norms – among them never to strike a lady.

He kept reminding himself of that rule over and over.

"Bella looks just fine," he responded coolly. "And if she is at all pale - which I personally didn't find to be the case - it's because it's the middle of winter, Tanya."

But Tanya wasn't ready to give up.

"Well, I for one could never see any beauty in her in the first place. Her face is too thin. Her complexion is dull. Her features are common, and her eyes –which some have called _captivating_ – are brown and completely boring. They have a half-wit quality to them. And the way she acts is so arrogant and conceited when she has absolutely nothing to be arrogant or conceited about! I remember when we first met her in Forks, how everyone in the area spoke about her as if she were a neighborhood beauty. And I specifically remember you saying, Edward, one night after dinner in Netherfield, "She's a beauty? I'd just as soon call her mother a wit."

Tanya started cackling manically, but her cackles were soon stopped when she saw the way that Edward was glowering her way, and for one second she was actually afraid that he might strike her. For the first time, Tanya wondered if perhaps she'd gone a tad bit too far.

"Let me make something clear. While you're under my roof, you will _never_ speak about Bella that way again!"

"But, Edward-"

"_I_ was the stupid, arrogant fool to have ever said those things about her! And it was only because I wanted her so badly I couldn't even see straight!"

"Don't you see? She's purposely driving you crazy-"

"But it's been months," Edward continued, seething, "since that _want_ has turned to _love,_ and I see her for what she really is: the most beautiful, kind, caring and perfect woman I have _ever_ met! And if you have something to the contrary to say, you need to leave!"

With that, he turned and walked out of the room - followed by a smiling Rosalie.

And Tanya was left with all the satisfaction of knowing that she'd forced Edward to say things that would only hurt her.

As for Emmett and Bella, their car ride back to the hotel was quiet, but every time Emmett snuck a peak at her, she was grinning like mad, gazing out through the windshield yet obviously not seeing what was there.

Which in turn, made Emmett grin quietly to himself.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**So how many of you know what's coming up now?**

**For those of you interested in reading my new story, make sure you put me on Author/Story alert. The new story will start in a couple of weeks or so. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	27. A&A Ch 27 (P&P Chs 46 & 47)

**A/N: Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. I'm just mixing both worlds.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is my beta chicky!**

**A&A Ch. 27 (P&P Chs. 46 & 47)**

* * *

When the knock came upon the door to Bella's hotel room, she startled, gasping quietly and smiling. She knew exactly who it was. With anxious excitement, she quickly zipped up the duffel containing her things and walked over to the door, opening it quickly.

There stood Edward - grinning wickedly. She couldn't help but laugh at how darn pleased he looked with himself – like the cat that had just caught the proverbial canary. Maybe, when one looked at it, he _had_ gotten the last laugh. But she was just fine with that.

"Hey," she chuckled.

"Hey yourself," he replied smoothly.

They stood there by the door, grinning at each other.

"May I come in?" Edward finally asked.

"Oh!" Bella chuckled again, opening the door wider to let Edward through. "Yeah, sure."

Edward strolled in, taking a look around the tiny hotel room, which contained just a small table with two chairs, a small TV, and two double beds.

"It's definitely not Pemberley," Bella said, seeing the way his eyes roamed.

Edward turned to face her and opened his mouth, but seemed to change his mind about whatever he was about to say. Instead, he smiled sheepishly and asked,

"Did you really like Pemberley?"

"I loved it!" Bella exclaimed quickly, and then feeling embarrassed, bit her lip, evading his eyes as she continued. "I mean, it was really nice to visit. You have a beautiful home and…"

Sensing her nervousness, Edward strode closer to her and lifted her chin with his fingers, making her hold his gaze again.

"Bella, you don't know how happy it makes me that you liked Pemberley. It's a very important place to me and...and I hope that next time you come to Ithaca, we might spend some more time there."

Bella swallowed, lost in his gaze. "I'd…I'd like that."

She was still lost in his eyes, her muscles frozen, as Edward slowly inclined his head and put his mouth on hers. But though the rest of her body may have been immobile, her lips responded to his immediately, tasting them softly yet thoroughly, familiarizing herself with them even more than she had last night.

When they pulled away, they were both gasping for air.

"I've been dreaming of doing that all night," Edward breathed with a grin, his forehead resting on hers.

Bella simply nodded, too dazed to speak, and Edward took advantage of her silence to wrap his arms around her waist and bring his mouth to hers yet again.

"I thought you wanted to talk," Bella smiled against his lips.

"I do. After."

She chuckled as he nipped her bottom lip, but her chuckles faded when she felt his warm tongue part her lips and teasingly touch hers. Completely forgetting the need to talk, she wound her arms around his neck and let her tongue come out to play. Edward groaned, the way he had the previous evening, and the sound made Bella sigh in perfect contentment.

When her phone vibrated against the nightstand, she completely ignored it.

They stood there, kissing languidly yet passionately for a couple of minutes before Bella's phone vibrated again.

"Do you need to get that?" Edward asked against her mouth, to which Bella simply shook her head, refusing to break their kiss, and more than satisfied with her response, Edward continued kissing her.

Two minutes later, Bella's phone vibrated once more.

"Maybe I _should_ get that," Bella smiled impishly, begrudgingly breaking the kiss.

"Mm," Edward moaned, putting his lips tenderly on her nose.

"And then we can have that talk you claimed you came over for," she teased him. Her arms slid slowly off his neck, trailed down his arms so that even as she walked to the phone they were still in contact with one another.

"I really would like to speak with you about…a couple of things," he grinned.

"Mhm," Bella smirked, pretending not to believe him as she looked at her phone. "Wow, two missed calls from my mom and four from Alice," she murmured, feeling a twinge of apprehension in her stomach as she hit redial for Alice.

"Bella, thank God!" Alice exclaimed as soon as she picked up.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"I just received a hysterical call from mom. She said she was trying to get in touch with you too, but you weren't answering."

The twinge of apprehension morphed into a fissure of fear.

"What is it? What happened?"

Bella could hear Alice draw in a deep breath. "Jessica has run away."

"_What_?"

Out of her periphery, Bella could see Edward frown in confusion, but she couldn't pay attention to Edward right now, because Alice was explaining.

"Apparently, she came home last night and announced all proudly to Mom and Dad that she's pregnant."

"_Pregnant_? She's barely sixteen!"

"Yes. It seems she believed everyone should've ignored that little fact and been thrilled at her announcement, and when Mom and Dad started questioning her, she became outraged and stormed to her room. This morning, when mom went to try to speak with her, she was gone."

"Gone?" Bella repeated, running a frustrated hand through her hair. Edward could see her distress and moved closer, gently wrapping his hand around her arm for support.

"Yes. She left a note saying that she was leaving with the baby's father."

"Who the hell is the baby's father?"

"She didn't say, but…Bella, you'd better sit down."

"Alice, what is it?" Bella asked, not bothering to sit.

"Mom and Dad questioned Lauren for a couple of hours, because you know Jess would've told Lauren."

"Of course," Bella agreed quickly.

"Well, at first she refused to say anything, but then…Bella, the baby's father is Mike Newton."

"Mike Newton?" Bella repeated in horror. At the mention of that name, Edward tightened his grip around Bella's arm.

"Yes," Alice confirmed. "Apparently, they've been…fooling around since this summer."

"Oh, Jesus," Bella moaned, feeling her legs weaken. Edward wrapped his other hand around her other arm, holding her up now.

"It appears that she called him last night after her argument with Mom and Dad, and he told her to go meet him."

"Go meet him where?" Bella cried frantically. "Where are they?"

"Lauren swears that all she knows is that Jess was supposed to meet him in Seattle."

Bella gripped the hair on the top of her head. "Seattle? Oh God. And what are they doing there?"

"I have no idea, Bella. That's as much as Lauren knows. Dad's been making calls to the Seattle PD all morning, but unless Mike is a total idiot, he knows he has to hide right now. This is statutory rape."

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God," was all Bella could manage to moan over and over.

"Bella, we have to get home right away. Mom is about to go into convulsions, and I'm worried about Dad. He says he'll scour all of Seattle if he has to in order to find Mike and kill him. You know his health isn't exactly stellar. I'm hoping Emmett will come up to Washington with us."

"I'm sure he will. We'll meet you back in the city."

"Okay. I'll look up flights for the three of us."

When Bella ended the call, she quickly made her way to the door, but Edward grabbed her firmly and turned her to face him.

"Bella, where are you going?"

"I have to find Emmett right away," she blurted, staring at his chest before trying to turn herself around again.

"Wait, wait, wait," Edward said, turning her towards him once more.

It all hit Bella then, and she sat down heavily over one of the beds, cradling her head in her hands while tears of anger streamed down her face. Edward knelt in front of her and waited for her to lift her head.

And as much as Bella hated having to tell Edward about this, she knew he'd eventually find out anyway, knowing what his connection to Mike was.

"My cousin Jessica is pregnant, and apparently Mike is the father."

Edward nodded, his jaw clenched tight. "I gathered that much from your end of the conversation."

They were both silent for one long moment.

"She's run away," Bella finally added staring off beyond him, "with _him_. According to Lauren, they're somewhere in Seattle but no one knows where. I don't know what she's thinking." Her voice cracked as fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

"All I can think about is how I could've prevented this. I've known for weeks now the type of man Mike really is. I should've warned her somehow, made it clear to her that she shouldn't trust him. But now it's too late."

Edward drew in a lungful of air before letting it out heavily.

"So it's definite that they're in Seattle?"

Bella shrugged tiredly. "I would think that's a safer bet for them than Forks or Port Angeles - both are much smaller and would make it easier for them to be found. They can hide much easier in a large city like Seattle. Besides, Jessica is underage. He can't take her very far without her legal guardian's permission."

Edward simply nodded. "And what exactly is your Dad doing to try to find her?"

"He's been in contact with a few of his friends in the Seattle PD, and Alice says he wants to see if Emmett will come home with us to help. But what difference does it make?" Bella asked, forcing herself to meet Edward's gaze. "She's sixteen years old and pregnant from a man almost ten years her senior who obviously lacks any scruples or morals whatsoever. How are they supposed to be found?"

Edward shook his head silently.

"When I found out what type of man he really was, the things he'd done…" Bella mused bitterly. "I was afraid to say too much." She gripped her hair again. "God, what have I done?"

Edward didn't answer her. Instead, he stood up and started pacing the room, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Bella looked at him, cocking her head to the side curiously, and then it hit her.

She'd lost him.

It was Rosalie's situation all over again, and he'd already gone through it once. He wouldn't want to go through it again or associate with anyone who could possibly remind Rosalie of that most horrible time she'd gone through. Rosalie wanted to forget Mike; she _deserved_ to forget him, and with this situation now, Edward _had_ to distance himself from Bella and her family.

All of a sudden, a phrase she'd spoken just last night to Rosalie over dinner came back to her:

_"You'll never have to deal with any part of him again, not if your brother or I have anything to do with it. I promise you that."_

Bella closed her eyes, understanding what that promise meant, what it would cost her, because she finally understood that she loved Edward, had loved him all along, but that understanding had come too late now that she knew that their love could never be.

But she couldn't think of herself now. She cradled her head in her hands again, trying to figure out a way to find Jessica, and her thoughts were only interrupted by a smooth, velvet voice.

"Bella, I've got to get going, but I'll give you a call as soon as I can, okay?"

Bella lifted her head and found Edward kneeling before her once more, his features anxious, every fiber of his being screaming his need to leave the room quickly.

"Alright, Edward," she replied as calmly as possible.

He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Have a safe trip home."

With those words, he was gone.

OOOOOOOOOO

For those few minutes before Emmett showed up, Bella thought back to last summer – not in relation to her and Edward, but in relation to Jessica, and how Bella had never noticed any specific preference between Jessica and Mike. True, Jessica was a flirt, but she was an equal opportunity flirt, bouncing from crush to crush depending on who happened to pay her any mind that particular week. God, how Bella wished she'd paid more attention to what was going on right before her eyes, but she'd been so caught up in her assumed dislike of Edward and in believing Mike to be a saint that she'd been blind to what had apparently been just under her nose.

An anxious knock sounded against the door, but Bella knew it wasn't Edward – not this time. She opened the door and looked into Emmett's strained eyes.

"Alice called me."

Bella nodded. "Are you coming home to Washington with us?"

"Of course I am," Emmett smirked. "Not for friggin' Jessica, but for you and Alice, and even your dad. I'll help any way I can."

Bella hugged her cousin – who was more like a big brother to her.

"Thanks, Em."

"Where's Edward?" Emmett asked when Bella pulled away. "I saw him come up when I was in the lobby."

"Yeah, he was here. I told him what happened, and now he's gone," she responded, her tone holding a bit more of an edge to it than she'd meant for it to.

"_O_-kay," Emmett said slowly, not completely understanding what that meant. "I'm all packed, so as soon as you're ready…"

"I'm ready," Bella confirmed, and then with a quick stride to the bed to pick up her duffle, she walked out and by that afternoon, the three were on a flight back to Washington.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I've been thinking about it," Emmett said, seated at the end of the row on the airplane, his two cousins in the seats next to him, "how likely is it that Jessica, should we find her at all, will agree to pressing statutory rape charges against Mike?"

Bella pursed her lips. "Knowing Jessica, if he's currently sweet-talking her up a storm, not very likely."

"But Jess doesn't have to agree to press charges, does she?" Alice questioned. "She's a minor. Mom and Dad, as her legal guardians, are legally able to press them on her behalf."

"Yeah, but you know how Jessica is," Emmett pressed. He didn't want to upset his cousins any further, but at the same time he needed to be realistic with them. "If she throws a tantrum over it, your Dad may back off just so he won't have to hear her mouth. And if she gets to Aunt Renee, well, I don't mean to be harsh, but you know Jess can talk Aunt Renee into and out of practically anything."

Bella shook her head. "He can't be allowed to get away with this. He's a grown man for God's sakes, while Jessica, no matter how stupid, is practically still a child. And besides, it's not the first time he's done something like this, and it most probably won't be the last. He's a predator."

"What do you mean it's not the first time he does something like this?"

Bella closed her eyes, realizing what she'd said. Yes, she'd spoken to Alice about what Mike had done to Rosalie, but Emmett didn't know, and she wouldn't reveal Rosalie's secret any further, no matter what. She'd promised her; she'd promised Edward; and she wouldn't break that promise – even if she'd probably never see them again.

"Never mind. When we find Jessica," Bella murmured, "we've got to find a way to make her see that Mike doesn't give a damn about her. Once she stops believing his lies, I think she'll come to her senses."

"But how do we get her to see that he's just using her for some quick fun?"

The other two shook their heads, equally at a loss.

"Man, and what the hell is Jessica going to do now with a baby? She still has two years of high school to go. And mark my words, it'll be your mom and dad who end up supporting that baby; another mouth for them to feed."

Yes, Bella had been thinking about that as well. Her mind had been an endless loop of all the consequences of Jessica's actions for hours now.

She sighed. "I suppose I can postpone grad school for a few years. Once I'm done with undergrad in May, I can get a job in Forks and stay home, to help out."

Emmett's nostrils flared and he shook his head vehemently. "Bella-"

"Bella, no," Alice cried. "Look…I'll drop out of FIT for a few semesters and-"

"No way, Alice," Bella hissed through clenched teeth. "This isn't your fault, it's mine. Besides, you've made it this far and I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself when you're so close to the future you deserve."

"What about the future that _you_ deserve, Bella?" Emmett questioned. "I agree, Alice shouldn't drop out of FIT, but by the same token you shouldn't forego grad school because of a stupid mistake that Jessica made. She stuck her foot in it, let her find her way out."

Bella shook her head. "Emmett, there are things you don't understand. This is my fault. I could've prevented a lot of this; at the very least I could've prevented Jessica running off with Mike."

"Bella, you don't know that," Alice insisted.

"Yes, I do."

"How?" Emmett asked. "How could you have prevented this? You know Jessica's always been wild. I'm sorry, she's my cousin too, but the truth is the truth."

"Emmett, I knew things about him that I should've told the girls about! I should've warned the whole damned neighborhood about him! And anyway, if it was only about her, Emmett, I might agree with you, but this goes beyond her now. There's a child involved, and I have to take responsibility."

Emmett sighed heavily, frustrated beyond belief. "I don't understand at all why you feel _you_ need to take responsibility for this. No matter what you think you knew, you shouldn't have to alter your entire future to get her out of her mess."

Bella didn't respond. She simply stared straight ahead, wishing Edward was near her, missing him already more than she ever imagined she could.

OOOOOOOOOO

Renee greeted them with tears and loud shrieks when they finally arrived in Forks after a long, exhausting day of travel.

"Oh God, I'm going crazy!" she cried. "Your father is off in Seattle somewhere and has left me here alone. I call him every hour to see if he has any news, but he never has any! How did this happen? How? After the way we treated Mike Newton, this is how he repays us? My nerves are shot to hell! I haven't been able to concentrate on any of my shows! I'm going crazy!"

"Mom, try to calm down," Bella soothed quietly.

"How can I calm down when my poor Jessica is off God knows where in her delicate condition? You've never been pregnant, Bella, you don't know how difficult it is! I warned your father that he was too strict with the girls, that they'd rebel if he didn't loosen the reins a bit, but he didn't listen to me, and this is what happens!"

"Mom," Bella said firmly, "Dad wasn't strict at all with either of the girls."

Renee ignored her.

"And now when Charlie finds Mike, he'll probably try to fight him and Mike will probably beat him to a bloody pulp, and then who'll pay the bills around here?"

Bella fought to calm herself, even as her mother went on and on. She stood there, waiting to get a word in edgewise, while Emmett excused himself to pick up a call he'd apparently gotten on his phone.

"Mom, calm down. Emmett is here, and he'll help Dad look for Jessica. We all will."

"Oh thank heaven!" Renee proclaimed. "Now Emmett, when you go meet your uncle, tell him that he absolutely has to find them. And that once he does, he has to convince Jessica to come home." She went on and on, though Emmett was engrossed in his phone call and barely paying her any mind. "And tell him to tell her that if she comes back soon, I'll take her to that adorable baby store in Port Angeles, and we can buy tons and tons of clothes and toys for the baby!"

Emmett finally hung up, and Bella watched him as he stood there silently for a few seconds, staring at the ground. His eyes suddenly flashed up to hers, but then just as quickly he looked away from her and walked over his aunt.

He took her hands in his. "Aunt Renee, I promise I'll do my best to find Jess. But you seriously need to calm down a bit."

He then turned to Bella and Alice. "I've got to go."

"What, right now?" Bella asked.

Emmett nodded. "I…I think I might have a couple of leads."

"Already? Does dad know?"

Emmett shook his head. "Not yet. I'll give him a call when I'm in Seattle."

"I'll come with you."

"No, Bella!" Emmett said roughly. And then more smoothly, "I think you should stay with your mom and Lauren for now. Aunt Renee definitely needs some moral support, and poor Lauren is probably going crazy all alone here with her. If I need you or Alice, I'll give you a call."

"But, Emmett-"

"We'll talk later, little cuz, alright?"

Bella frowned, and then nodded.

Once Emmett had left and Renee self-medicated herself into a peaceful slumber, Alice and Bella sat in the kitchen, talking.

"Alice, I should've told what I knew of him."

"Bella, you didn't know this would happen. You have to stop blaming yourself."

Bella nodded, tears stinging her eyes, for Jess and her stupidity, for the poor innocent child growing inside her…

…and for all the hope that she herself had awoken with this morning, and how in less than twenty-four hours, it was all gone.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Just a few chapters left.**

**I plan to start posting a new story next week, for those of you interested. :) So put me on Author/Story alert, and keep an eye out.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	28. A&A Chapter 28

**A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a really long time, but I promised once that I would NOT abandon this story, and I meant it. The good news, for those of you sweet enough to have stuck around between the long delay, is that updates will now come regularly until the story is complete – one or two chapters a week. **

**So here you go. And thanks again for waiting patiently. :)**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major story line belongs to J. Austen.**

**A&A Ch. 28 (P&P Ch. 48 - 51)**

* * *

The next morning, the women were all anxious for word from Charlie, but he didn't call, and when Bella and Alice tried to call him, their calls went straight to voice mail. The family already knew that Charlie wasn't much for modern technology; his cell phone was probably stuffed somewhere deep in one of his pockets, vibrating away. Unfortunately, no word from him probably meant that he hadn't been able to locate Jessica and Mike yet.

Emmett, on the other hand, did call late in the morning saying that he hadn't been able to find anything as of now, but he had a couple of promising leads. He also promised his Aunt Renee that he'd try to get a hold of his Uncle Charlie and convince him to just go home and leave the search to him, seeing as how concerned she was that Charlie would get himself killed. Then Jake would take the house and with what the hell would she be left?

Later that afternoon, Sue Clearwater paid them a visit with the excuse of trying to cheer up Renee. Yet every topic she covered circled around the entire neighborhood's awareness of the Swan's misfortune, and how they'd all known all along what a good-for-nothing scoundrel Mike Newton really was.

Renee was left inconsolable by the time Sue departed.

"I knew it," she cried into her tissue, "I knew Mike was an asshole, and I tried to warn your father not to let him anywhere near any of you, but _nooo_," she proclaimed exaggeratedly. "No one ever listened to _me _just because he was so cute and sweet! But I never fell for it! I always knew that he couldn't' be trusted!"

Bella, though she knew the opposite of this to actually be true, remained silent, preferring to let her mother tire herself out with her tirade rather than point out facts to which the former would never own. Besides, she couldn't blame her mother for any of what had happened when she, thanks to Edward, had really known what Mike was like for some time now. If anyone was to blame, it was she, and now her cousin was off in Seattle somewhere with a man who would only use her until he grew bored of her, and she herself had lost the only man she'd ever really loved, because Edward wouldn't be able to associate with a family who would now forever be linked to Mike Newton in one form or another.

By the time Emmett called again that evening, Bella welcomed the distraction of his voice regardless of what news he had. The roller-coaster of emotions plaguing her was a torment. On one hand, her mother's constant tears and complaints had Bella on the verge of a mental breakdown of her own. On the other hand, when her mother was quiet, Bella's mind would drift off to thoughts of Edward…to the warmth of his mouth on hers…to the feel of his fingers pressed into her hips…to the heat of his gaze whenever he looked at her…

…to the guilt etched in his features when he'd left her in that hotel room, guilt because he knew he'd never seek her out again.

And she couldn't blame him. After everything that his sister Rosalie had been through at Mike's hands, Edward had to keep Mike Newton and any reminder of him as far away from her as possible.

"What's going on, Emmett?" Bella asked.

"I don't have much to tell you, Cuz," Emmett sighed. "Your dad and I have been in touch, but he's working with some cop buddies of his, while I'm with- uhm, I mean, while I'm just looking around in a couple of neighborhoods in which someone like Mike might hang out."

"So nothing yet?"

"No," Emmett confirmed apologetically. "I did tell your Dad that maybe it would be a good idea for him to go home, at least for a short while so that your mom could calm down a bit, but he's determined to stay here in Seattle."

"Yeah, I don't blame him for preferring to stay in Seattle," Bella muttered.

"Listen…Bella…I know you and Mike were pretty friendly for a while, and I was wondering…is there anything he ever said to you that might give you a clue-"

"Emmett, Mike and I were never that close."

She couldn't help the edge in her voice, though she knew her cousin wasn't trying to be malicious or presumptuous. As much as she now hated Mike, she couldn't deny that once she'd actually been fond of him, and she hadn't concealed that fondness half as well as she'd concealed her feelings for Edward – especially from her own self.

"I didn't think so," Emmett breathed, "but I figured I'd ask. Listen, Bella-"

His voice suddenly changed; took on an urgent cautiousness that hadn't been there before.

"Uhm…I've got to go, Bella. I'll get back to you as soon as I can, okay?"

The line disconnected before she even had a chance to respond.

OOOOOOOOOO

Every hour that now passed at the Swan Residence was full of anxiety for whatever news would or would not be communicated. Every time the phone rang, either Alice or Bella would quickly jump to answer. Renee was too incoherent from her meds to actually take any calls, and Lauren was too busy watching TV.

When the phone rang yet again, the number on the Caller ID was neither Emmett's nor Charlie's, and for a fraction of a second, Bella let herself hope that perhaps…maybe…Edward…

But when the caller's name popped up on the screen, that millisecond of hope was soon extinguished.

"Bella? Hey, it's Jake."

Bella frowned. "Jake…how are you?"

"I'm calling to offer my condolences."

"Condolences?" Bella repeated. "For what? Who's died?"

"Well, no one's died, though that may have been better. I heard about your cousin, Jessica. Sue called Leah, and Leah told me and, well, I'm sorry."

Funny, but to Bella, he sounded anything but.

"Thank you so much for your concern," Bella responded through clenched teeth, making no attempt to curb the sarcasm dripping from her tongue. Unfortunately, Jake was either too stupid or too eager to pick up on it.

"Oh, I'm very concerned. As a close family friend, I sympathize greatly with you and your family. This must be horrible for you, to have all of Washington know the loose morals of someone with whom you grew up, someone you called a sister. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but I'm sure that there's not."

"You're right about that much."

"And what's worse, as Leah and I have agreed, is that your parents have no one to blame but themselves for this, because they never bothered to rein in that child the way parents are supposed to do; though to give your parents the benefit of the doubt, she's not actually theirs and probably inherited her Jezebel tendencies from her birth parents. Either way, I feel so sorry for you, Bella, as do Leah, Senator De Volturi and her daughter, Jane. Everyone is completely aware of what's happened. And though Senator De Volturi believes that your cousin Jessica's wonton behavior is a reflection of every female in your household," – Jake now lowered his voice to a whisper – "I'm sure that's not actually the case. Though at this point, I can only thank providence for the way someone, who will remain nameless, summarily rejected a certain offer I made a few months ago. Otherwise, I would've been involved in your family's current shame, and that would not at all be helpful to my future political aspirations."

At that moment, Jake had no idea how lucky he was to be miles away instead of standing right before Bella.

"My final piece of advice to you then, Bella, would be to leave behind the State of Washington as quickly as possible and distance yourself from your trashy relations before they-"

Bella wondered how long it took Jake to realize that he was speaking to no one but a dial tone on the other line.

OOOOOOOOOO

By the time Emmett called again the following morning, Bella was going stir-crazy. Unfortunately, though Emmett seemed to have gathered some information about Mike, he hadn't been able to find him or Jessica yet.

Bella put him on speaker phone so that everyone in the house could hear.

"Mike has a reputation around this seedy area, that's for sure," Emmett said, a sneer in his voice. "He's borrowed money from some real sketchy characters - loan sharks and such, and a couple of guys want him for messing around with their sisters."

Alice's eyes widened in horror on hearing this. "God, he's even worse than we thought!"

Bella merely pursed her lips, because he was actually just as horrible as she'd expected.

"In any case, I've got a couple more leads, and I'll give you guys a call as soon as I find out anything."

"Emmett, where exactly is your Uncle?" Renee demanded. "Why isn't he with you?"

"Uhm…I'd just rather check these places out on my own, Aunt Renee. Like I said, there are some shady characters around here, and I'd rather Uncle Charlie keep checking things out with his cop friends. If anything comes up, I'll definitely give him a call."

"Oh God!" Renee whined. "If Mike is going to require an ass-kicking, please make sure you deliver it before you call your uncle," she pleaded. "He's no spring chicken anymore, and if he gets hurt and dies-"

"What will become of you?" Emmett finished for her in an exasperated tone. "Yes, Aunt Renee, I'll make sure of it."

Charlie himself finally did call later on that morning, and was also put on speakerphone.

"Dad, I feel so bad for all the trouble you're going through right now," said Bella at one point.

"Don't even mention it, Bella. I've got no one to blame but myself."

"Dad…don't be so hard on yourself. You're not solely to blame…"

"Not so hard on myself," he scoffed. "Bella, for once, let me indulge in my own guilt. It's not as if I do it very often, and if I know myself at all, the feeling will pass soon enough."

"Do you really think they're in Seattle?" Alice asked.

"Yes. They can hide pretty well here."

"And Jessica's always loved Seattle," Lauren added.

"That's wonderful," Charlie said dryly. "I'm sure Mike is showing her the time of her life." After a short pause, he said, "Bella, I suppose I should've listened to you a few months ago when you told me I should put the lock-down on Jessica and Lauren."

"I don't need a lock-down!" Lauren cried defiantly. "When I find myself a boyfriend, I'm going to behave better than Jess has!"

"You, a boyfriend!" Charlie howled. "I'm not trusting you with a boyfriend until you're twenty-one or out of this house, whichever comes first. No McDonald's employees will ever cross my threshold again! There will be no more parties or dances unless one of your older cousin's goes with you! And you are not stepping foot out of the house unless it's to go to school or church!"

Lauren, who took all of Charlie's words seriously, began to bawl her eyes out.

"Now, now," Charlie said, "Don't make yourself sick or anything. If you're a good girl, we'll review these rules again in a few years."

OOOOOOOOOO

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day came and went with little celebration at the Swan household. Bella sat quietly by the Christmas tree on Christmas night, thinking of how different the holiday had actually transpired compared to what she'd imagined just a few days ago in New York. She'd pictured herself with Alice and Emmett in front of the great tree at Rockefeller Center, ringing in the holiday. And just a few short days ago, she'd imagined that maybe, just maybe, Edward and Rosalie would join them…and maybe he'd give her a kiss under that tree similar to the kiss he'd given her outside of his restaurant…

Then she went to bed, tired and lonely, and refused to let herself dream.

The day after Christmas, Charlie finally called with good news – or as good as could be expected at this point.

"They've been found."

Bella let go of the breath she had been holding for days now.

"How? Where?"

"Apparently they were holed up in some crappy motel over in White Center."

"You mean they're still together?" Alice asked.

"No, I don't think so. Emmett found them. Right now, they're on their way to the nearest precinct. I'm on my way to meet them now."

Bella was surprised that Emmett hadn't called upon finding them with the news himself.

"Are you going to press charges against him?" Bella asked.

"That's the plan."

"Do you think Jessica will go along with that?"

"From what I've gathered from Emmett, Jessica is ready to press charges and come home."

At this news, Renee let out a screech that would've been more appropriate had they been discussing the President of the United States coming to visit their house rather than their knocked up sixteen year-old niece agreeing to come home without a fight.

Bella rolled her eyes as her father continued.

"Emmett had already called the police, and they picked up Mike for child endangerment. Jessica is coming home and keeping the baby, and from what Emmett tells me, she's agreed to continue school and get an afternoon job to help support the child."

For a few seconds, Bella could do nothing but blink in shock.

"Is it possible? Could it be that the pregnancy has given Jessica some common sense?"

"She's not as stupid as we thought her to be!" Alice exclaimed happily.

"She _is_ as stupid as we thought her to be," Charlie countered. "I can only imagine what Emmett had to do to get her to agree. And knowing him, he's probably offered to help her support the baby too. I don't even know how to repay him at this point."

Bella felt a sudden wave of guilt at that possibility because she didn't doubt that for a second. If anyone had to help Jessica support the baby, it was Bella, for not having warned her of Mike's true character in the first place.

"Don't worry, Dad," Bella said sadly. "I'll help you figure something out."

As soon as they'd hung up, Renee's spirits did a total one-eighty as she flew up the stairs.

"Oh, I have to go get Jessica's bedroom ready for when she gets home!" she exclaimed excitedly. "We're going to have to go shopping for a crib, a bassinette, and those cute little bibs that say 'Grandma's little angel!' Though I'm sure I'm way too young to be called 'Grandma.' Maybe I should have the baby call me Renee, like those sophisticated Grandmothers do. Oh My God, Jessica's going to be a mom! I'm so excited! Wait until I see Sue again and rub it in her face that my Jessica will be such a beautiful, young mom, while her Leah's eggs grow old and rotten with each passing day! Ha!"

Alice and Bella simply watched their mother ascend the staircase, shaking their heads in her wake.

"So she's pressing charges and coming home," Bella murmured. "And to think that for this we're supposed to be grateful. And now this poor baby, what kind of life will it have? Oh Jess."

"I comfort myself by thinking that she wouldn't be keeping this baby if there wasn't at least one unselfish bone in her body," Alice said. "And though I'm sure Emmett probably had to move heaven and hell to get her to agree to press charges against Mike and come home, he's a med student with his own bills and only a part-time job himself. He can't possibly be thinking of offering her too much financial help."

"If Emmett is going to help her support this baby financially, then that's already more than what the child's own father would've ever done for it because as we now know, Mike doesn't have a penny to his name, nor any ambition to ever change that. What Emmett has already done for Jessica is far more than she deserves."

"For the baby's sake, we have to try to forgive Jessica's stupidity," Alice proposed, "and forget her recent actions."

"The way she handled this was so selfish," replied Bella, "that I'm afraid that none of us will soon forget it - except perhaps for her."

OOOOOOOOOO

It was very late in the evening when Charlie finally arrived back home to Forks, with his nephew Emmett, and wayward niece Jessica in tow.

Renee rushed happily to Jessica's side.

"Oh, Jess, Honey, I'm so happy for you!" she cried. "Look at you, you're already glowing! Now go to bed and get some rest! Tomorrow we'll go shopping for baby clothes! And I saw a beautiful crib the other day at-"

"There will be no shopping for baby clothes or cribs!" Charlie bellowed so loudly that Renee gasped in shock, her eyes wide on her husband.

"But we can take advantage of the after-Christmas sales!"

"I said NO!" Charlie yelled. "First of all, what Jessica has done is nothing to celebrate, and second, when the time does come to buy necessities for the child, it will come from money JESSICA has saved."

"But Jessica has no money!" Renee whined.

"Oh, I'm going to have plenty of money soon!" Jessica volunteered excitedly.

"What?" asked everyone.

So Charlie gave them all the details of what had transpired that day.

"We've pressed charges against Mike and will have to appear in court in a couple of weeks, but my buddies in Seattle are pretty sure that the charges will stick. He can't afford bail, and no one will lend him the money, so he's not going anywhere until the trial," Charlie grinned. "As for Jessica…" he scowled her way.

Jessica simply grinned and with a quick glance in Emmett's direction and a clearing of her throat, took over the story from her uncle.

"As soon as we got to the precinct, before Uncle Charlie showed up, the cops there were kind enough to hand me an application for this foundation." She waved the application in the air. "It's called The Rose Foundation for Exploited Young Women. See, if you're a teenager that got pregnant by a sex offender, like I did, and you decide to keep the baby, what they do is they actually give you money to stay in school! Can you believe that? And if I get an after-school job and keep my grade point average above a 'C', they give me even more money! They'll actually help me support the baby all the way up to its tenth birthday as long as I go to college too, which they'll also help pay for! It's like I hit the lottery for pregnant girls!"

"What?" Bella repeated. She reached out and took the application from Jessica's hand.

Sure enough, the application's title was "The Rose Foundation for Exploited Young Women," and as she scanned the document, it did agree to do all of the things Jessica had mentioned. She flipped through the application and found an address on the back which showed that the foundation was based in New York City.

"I've never heard of this foundation," she murmured quietly.

"Have you heard of many foundations for pregnant teenagers?" Jessica sneered.

"No," Bella admitted with a sigh, "I suppose I haven't."

Jessica reached out and snatched the application away from Bella.

"So you see, I'm going to be able to afford the best of everything for this baby!"

"What about Mike?" Alice asked.

"What about him?" said Jessica.

"What will be his part in this baby's life?"

"None at all. He never really cared for me; I know that now. He was just going to have his fun and then leave me in that hotel when he grew tired. I heard him say it himself when I thought he wasn't listening," she scowled. "So now he'll rot in jail," she added with a shrug.

Bella had no idea how to respond to this. She looked at Emmett, but he wore a strangely blank expression she couldn't figure out. If she had to be honest, she was relieved to know that Mike would be in jail now, unable to harm any more underage girls, and though she didn't know much about how these things worked, she was sure that once released, he would have to register as a sex offender, which would at least offer the parents of teen aged girls some enlightenment as to his true character.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for this poor, unborn child though, who would grow up fatherless, but she was also thankful for this foundation that had appeared as if a gift from heaven itself. There was no way Bella would have allowed Emmett to sacrifice himself by helping to support Jessica's child when he had nothing to do with the entire ordeal. He was a med student, who was already struggling to make ends meet. She was going to drop out of college – at least for the time being – to help support this baby. After all, if she'd warned Jessica, if she'd told her what Mike was really like, none of this would've ever happened.

But now, she wouldn't have to do any of that. Now she could stay in college, move to New York for grad school like she'd planned, be closer to Edward…

Edward…

As quickly as her hope soared, it was dashed in the next instant.

None of this changed the fact that Jessica would soon be giving birth to Mike Newton's child. After what Mike had put Rosalie through, after he'd made her abort their own child, Edward could never associate his family with Bella's. It would be a constant reminder to Rose of all that she'd been through and now deserved to forget. That Edward's feelings for her were real and not some arrogant caprice Bella was now sure, but those feelings couldn't be expected to survive this. Of that, Bella was also sure.

How ironic that now that she found herself so deeply in love with him, now that she knew she would've given herself completely to him, she knew she'd never see him again.

Because Bella now saw that Edward was exactly the kind of man who would've made her happy. They complemented each other; whereas she was outspoken and playful, he was quiet and reserved. She could've helped him become less reserved, while he could've tempered her tendency to say too much.

But now, that union would never be.

As for Jessica, what kind of mother she'd be was to be determined. But if Bella was no longer required to provide financial assistance to atone for her mistakes, she'd make sure she was at least around to give the child emotional stability.

OOOOOOOOOO

Emmett agreed to stay with the Swans for the next few days, through New Years. Then he and Alice would return to New York.

A couple of days after their return from Seattle, Bella was staring out the open kitchen window, which opened up to the backyard, and she saw Charlie there, in deep discussion with Emmett.

Emmett threw his hands up in the air with a grin. "Seriously, Uncle Charlie, you don't owe me a thing. Jessica is my cousin, and it was my responsibility to find her as much as anyone's. Now, I'd really like to just drop it."

Bella would've kept listening if it wasn't for Jessica's entry into the kitchen. Though it was past noon, she'd obviously just woken up, and stretching her arms lazily over her head, she yawned and plopped herself onto a chair by the table.

"Lord, I'm exhausted. Bella, can you make me some scrambled eggs, please?"

"What, did your hands fall off?" Bella asked with a raised brow.

Jessica leveled her with a steady gaze. "No, but I'm pregnant and tired, and besides, if you refuse a pregnant woman's request, you get an ugly sty in your eye. Didn't you know that?" She smiled sweetly.

Bella pursed her lips, and with a roll of her eyes, she went to the fridge to pull out some eggs.

Jessica giggled. "This is going to be so much fun! I can get you guys to do anything for me now!"

"Not me," Bella said. "I'll be back in Seattle in a few days."

"Maybe you won't wait on me, but Aunt Renee and Lauren won't be going anywhere."

Bella cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl. "They've always done everything for you anyway."

"True," Jessica agreed with another giggle. "Aren't you jealous of me, Bella? I'm going to have a baby before you. By the time you finally getting around to having kids, my kid will be able to babysit yours."

"Jess, I hope you realize that being a parent is going to be about more than just dressing up that baby in cute clothes. You're going to have to put your needs and wants second."

"Yeah, yeah," Jessica waved off her words.

"Have you finished filling out that application?"

"Of course I have! That application is my and the kid's meal ticket for the foreseeable future!"

Bella tried to rein in her temper while she beat the eggs with a fork, hoping that at least once she gave birth, Jess would mature a bit.

"You know that there's usually an approval process for those types of things. Though I hope you do get it, it's not something that is necessarily in the bag."

"Of course it's in the bag," Jessica contradicted. "Edward promised me I'd get it. Oops!"

When Bella whirled around, bowl of scrambled eggs in hand, Jess was sitting there with eyes wide, her hand over her mouth.

They stared at each other.

Bella approached Jessica slowly. "Edward? What do you mean, 'Edward?'"

Jess kept her hand over her mouth. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything."

Bella kept staring at her, confusion mixed with the realization that she was missing something really big here.

"Jessica, tell me everything that happened, from beginning to end."

"No. I mean, I already told you everything."

Bella's nostrils flared as she held the bowl full of scrambled eggs over Jessica's head.

"So help me God, I swear to you, Jessica, if you don't tell me everything that happened from beginning to end, I'll drop these eggs over your head and sties be damned!"

"Fine, fine, fine! Sit down!" Jessica agreed quickly with a growl.

Bella took a hasty seat.

Jessica huffed indignantly. "Fine. Well, Mike and I arrived in Seattle a few days before Christmas. We had such a good time, Bella! I mean, we didn't go out much because Mike said he didn't have any money to take me out, but he promised that as soon as a couple of guys paid him some money they owed him, he'd take me dancing or something! But that was fine anyway because it was cold outside, and he was keeping me nice and warm if you know what I mean. I don't think we got out of bed long enough to-"

"Ugh!" Bella groaned, closing her eyes and covering her ears. "By everything I didn't meant that! You can skip that part and get on to the relevant facts, please!" she hissed.

"Fine!" Jessica snapped. "Anyway, I was starting to get a bit bored, if I must be honest. One afternoon, I went into the bathroom to take a bath, but then I thought I heard some voices. I left the shower on and tip toed to the bathroom door, opening it just an inch, and then I heard him."

"Heard _who_?" Bella asked desperately.

"Well, I wasn't sure _who_ it was at first!" Jessica spit out. "The voice sounded familiar, so I opened the door just a tiny bit more and saw _Edward_," she said with a roll of her eyes. "He had Mike up against the wall, his hand around Mike's throat. I was going to go out and rescue him, but then I heard what he said to Edward," she sneered.

"What did he say?"

He said, "I don't really want her anyway, she's just a quick and easy piece of ass. She's got me bored already as it is. So if you'll let me go, I'll be out of here quickly and you can have a turn if you'd like."

Jessica closed her eyes as she said this, but the pain and betrayal was etched so deeply in her features that Bella's heart couldn't help but go out to her little cousin. She was still young. And hopefully with time, age, maturity and true responsibilities, she'd change.

She put her hand over Jessica's, but when Jessica opened her eyes again, that pain was gone, replaced by a steely determination.

"So anyway, I let Edward knock Mike around a few times before I finally wrapped a towel around myself and came out. Then I saw that Emmett was with him, standing by the door with his arms crossed, I guess waiting to see if Edward needed help, but he was doing just fine on his own."

"And then what happened?"

"Well, then Edward asked me if I wanted to press charges, and I said yes," she grinned. "Emmett called the cops, and we all went down to the precinct. Then Edward gave me those papers with the application and told me that if I wanted to keep the kid," – she pointed to her stomach – "that organization would help me, as long as I did my best for myself and for the child."

For a long moment, Bella simply sat there, shocked into silence. Finally, when she felt as if she couldn't hold her body upright any longer, she sank back against the back of the chair, speechless.

"Then he asked me not to mention the fact that he'd been involved in any of this, and left. And I figured since he'd…helped, I might as well do that much for him." Jessica shrugged. "And now you've gone and gotten it all out of me."

Again, Bella could do nothing but stare.

"Now are you going to make me those eggs or what?"

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Chapter Song Rec: _We Belong Together_ by Mariah Carey. (I had this song in my head the entire time I wrote this chapter, LOL.)**

**I know that this version of Mike/Wickham is a lot more evil than in the original story, but it's the year 2013; I don't think anyone would've really raise a brow if he'd simply done the things he did in the original story. A few things will have to change to bring this story into the present, and I hope you guys don't mind too much. :)**

**For those of you who will be interested in being alerted when I start my new story (which will be in a month or so), put me on Author and/or Story alert.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Pattyrose' is on my profile page.**


	29. A&A Ch 29

**A/N: I want to thank all of you who read and reviewed last chapter. Thanks for sticking with this story even though it had been sooo long since the last update. But here we have another update! See, I told you guys I'd be updating this regularly now. :)**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. The rest is me. **

**A&A Chapter 29 (P&P Chs. 52-54)**

* * *

Bella was home alone.

Her father was working, her mother and her two cousins were visiting Sue Clearwater, and Alice and Emmett, after having invited Bella to accompany them and been given the excuse of a headache, had taken a trip into town.

No, she had no headache, but her mind was in total upheaval.

Edward Cullen had rescued her cousin.

Edward Cullen had placed himself in the last scene she had ever expected him to be.

Theories, speculations, presumptions all ran rampant through her brain, making it impossible for her to make heads or tails out of any of it. That thing called hope that had swelled in her heart just a few days ago was threatening to return with a vengeance, but she had to keep it under strict regulation because it made no _sense _that he would involve himself in something that would bring him both financial and mental hardship for…

..for what?!

She looked down at the copy of the application that she'd retrieved from Jessica's bedroom.

"The Rose Foundation for Exploited Young Women," she repeated to herself aloud.

Just then, she heard voices downstairs, and upon leaving her room realized that Emmett and Alice were already back.

Bella was not a woman built for suspense. She ran down the stairs and straight to her cousin. He looked up at her with a grin that soon faded when he saw the determination in her eyes.

With one hand on his chest, she pushed him backwards towards the door once more.

"Bella, what are you…" a confused Alice asked from behind them.

But Bella simply continued to guide Emmett outside.

"You're going to answer a few questions for me," she hissed.

Emmett gulped loudly, but didn't protest.

Once they were outside, she dropped her hand from his chest and put both her hands on her hips.

"I'm sure you understand how curious I am to know why someone who had _nothing_ to do with this matter was with you when you found Jessica in Seattle and why _you_ never told me about it!"

Emmett swallowed thickly before responding. "Fine, but it's a long story."

"Dad's at work and Mom and the girls are gossiping with Sue. We've got all the time in the world."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Alright, so you remember the night we got here from New York?" Bella nodded that she indeed did. "Well, I received a phone call."

"I remember that too," she replied, already guessing who the call was from.

"It was Edward. He said he was already in Seattle, and he had a couple of leads as to where Mike might possibly have taken Jessica."

"_He_ had a couple of leads?" Bella mimicked in disbelief. "Why was _he_ searching for them?"

Emmett sighed. "He said he felt responsible for what had happened, since he could've warned the neighborhood about what kind of man Mike really was and made it impossible for him to fool any young girls. He said it had been his pride that had kept him from saying anything because he hadn't believed it to be his duty to warn anyone. It was his obligation, therefore, to find Mike and Jessica and to find a solution to a problem that he had ultimately caused." Emmett held Bella's gaze carefully. "If he had any other reason, he never gave it explicitly, and I didn't ask."

Bella felt her heart accelerating with every word Emmett spoke.

"We followed a couple of leads, but the most promising one was the fact that he knew of a good friend of Mike's now living in Seattle. There was a Ms. Cope, apparently once a nanny to Rosalie, who he once fired; though he didn't mention why. Apparently, this Ms. Cope was now running a cheap motel somewhere in Seattle. Once we found her, we found them, and then after that, it was either luck or righteousness that guided us. When we stormed into their room, Mike was in their alone. Jessica was apparently in the shower. Let me tell you something," Emmett chuckled, "I'm not exactly sure what Mike did to Edward in the past, but whatever it was, I think Mike needs to thank his lucky stars every night that he's still alive! I had a bit of a hard time convincing Edward that it would _not_ be a good idea to beat Mike to within an inch of his life, especially after he started saying some degrading things about Jess," he sneered disgustedly. "Unfortunately for Mike, Jessica happened to overhear some of those things he was saying, and after that it took no convincing at all to get her to press charges against him."

Bella's jaw fell open more and more with every word she heard.

"Does Dad know that Edward was there?"

Emmett shook his head. "Edward accompanied us to the precinct, but left before your father arrived."

"What about…what about the application?"

Emmett shrugged. "He said his family had recently set up a foundation to help exploited young women. He said it was a matter very important to both him and his sister. He didn't expand beyond that, and again, I didn't ask."

If Bella hadn't been so shocked, she would've probably been the first one to appreciate how ridiculous she looked, standing there with her jaw on the floor, blinking like a fool.

Emmett smirked. "You know, I've heard a lot of rumors about Edward's character, but you want to know what's really wrong with that guy? It's his stubbornness. He wants to do everything himself! He wouldn't even let me be the one to give Mike a couple of well-deserved punches! And I had no choice but to go along with it. Instead of being allowed to have actually been of any use in all this craziness, I merely get to be the one to get the credit for it," he grinned wryly. "So…thanks actually, for having asked me what really went down because I was beginning to feel like a real ass for taking complete credit for something with which I had little to do."

Bella covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, God."

Emmett frowned. "Seriously though, Bella, you can't say anything about this to your parents or anyone else for that matter. Edward feels responsible for what happened, and though I suppose in some convoluted way he may bare a drop of responsibility, he can't hold himself responsible for other people's actions, none of us can," he added directly.

Bella wasn't so stupid as to fail to understand what Emmett was saying. She dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Still, the truth is that I wouldn't have given in so easy in letting Ed take the lead on all this if I hadn't been convinced that there was _another_, much more involved reason motivating Edward's actions. Mike deserved a beat-down, and Jessica would've probably benefited from a good shaking from me too if it wasn't for the delicate condition in which she now finds herself," he said in a dry tone. "I tried talking to her on the way home, but you know how that one is; things go in through one ear and come out of her ass. The way she acted when she got home is exactly the way she acted the entire time over there and on the ride back. She has no shame, that one. But Edward…yeah, he's a cool guy. I wish he and I would've had time for a couple of drinks before he left, but he had to get back to his sister, and I had to get back to you guys. I'll probably catch up with him when I'm back in New York. He needs to learn how to unwind a bit, but I'm sure that's something that the right kind of girlfriend can teach him."

At this, Bella's head whipped up. Emmett was grinning down at her impishly.

"He thinks he's so slick," Emmett chuckled. "He hardly mentioned your name at all while we were in Seattle, but every time I called you, I could feel agitation rolling off of him in waves, boy! Woo-hoo!"

At this, Bella pressed her palms up against her cousin's chest and shoved him with all her might.

Emmett barely budged, but his chuckles turned into full out laughter.

"Sorry, sorry!" he chortled. "Don't get all pissed off at me now! Or at least don't get so pissed off that I won't be allowed to visit you in Ithaca. That is one bad-ass house, and you'll need to let me spend a few nights a year there, especially in the summer! Did you see that in-ground pool in the back? The laps I could take around there!"

Bella shook her head, feigning indignation. "You're an idiot," she told him, but she couldn't repress the smile at the corners of her mouth.

Emmett laughed again, and just then, Bella spotted her mom and cousins rounding the block, and all talk was over.

But even after they all went inside, even through all the commotion that her mom and cousin's gossip afforded, Bella couldn't get her mind off of the information she'd just learned from Emmett. Her mind and heart kept vacillating between joy at the pure goodness Edward had displayed and heartache over the possibility that he'd simply done it out of a sense, though admirable in and of itself, of obligation.

Edward had preceded Emmett and her father into Seattle. He had taken it upon himself to seek out information, to seek out a woman, Ms. Cope, whom he'd probably never wanted to lay eyes on again. He'd had to deal with the man who had taken advantage of and crushed his sister's heart cruelly, the man whose name was even difficult for him to utter aloud. He'd done all this for Jessica, a girl whom he neither liked nor disliked enough to go to so much trouble.

Her heart whispered to her then, among all the noise and clutter around her: _"He did it for you."_

Once again, hope swelled inside her.

But that hope was soon checked once more by other facts that she _had_ to consider:

Even if Bella was able to discount the fact that Edward had already laid his heart out to her once, and had it stomped on almost as cruelly as Mike had done with Rosalie's, he could now never desire a true relationship with Bella. Proximity to her would mean proximity to Jessica and her child, _Mike's_ child. And he would never be so cruel as to inflict that kind of constant pain and reminder upon his sister.

Yes, Edward had done a lot for her family - more than a lot, more than could ever be repaid, but he'd given reasons for his interference, and they were good and sound reasons even if he truly had no cause to blame himself for what had happened. Bella could even go so far as to let herself accept that he had done some of it for her. That he did care about her enough to want to give her some peace of mind, but it was a long road from peace of mind to eternal bliss.

To think that she, as well as her family, owed him so much and would never be able to properly thank him for it. God, how she wanted to kick herself for every evil thought and word she'd ever had for him. And though she was drowning in a sea of humbleness, for Edward she felt nothing but pride…pride because he'd proved himself to be the better person in all of this.

She thought of Emmett's words: "He's a cool guy."

While her family yelled and screamed and laughed, Bella gazed down at the floor and smiled.

No, cool didn't quite do him justice, but it had warmed her to hear him spoken of with so much respect and affection, because he deserved nothing less.

OOOOOOOOOO

To Renee, it seemed that nothing could occur that would make her happier than she was currently. Her beautiful and favorite niece was going to have a baby, and Renee soon conveniently forgot all the other events that transpired to bring about that occurrence, as well as the insignificant little issue of Jessica's age. There would soon be a new baby in the house, and to top it all off, they'd barely even have to break a sweat to support the child financially since The Rose Foundation would be taking care of _that_ little inconvenience! What could possibly make life grander?

This question was answered a couple of days before New Year's, when news reached her that a house cleaner had been hired to get Netherfield Estate ready for the gentleman who currently held its lease, for he was expected to spend the remainder of the holiday season there.

For half a minute, Renee was as speechless as it was ever possible for her to be. She looked at Alice and grinned wickedly.

"So Jasper is coming up to Forks, is he now, Sue?" she asked (because it was Sue Clearwater who brought the news). "Well, that's interesting – not that I give a damn. What Jasper Whitlock may or may not do makes no difference in our lives, and I for one wouldn't care if we ever saw him again. Besides, didn't we agree never again to mention him around here? Are you sure he's coming?"

"Very sure," replied Sue. "I heard it from Mary Reed, who heard it from Agnes Lloyd, who heard it from Sara Douglas, who heard it from the house cleaner herself," she confirmed smugly. "He's actually due to arrive this afternoon."

By this point, Alice could barely conceal the way her cheeks flushed, and her breathing accelerated at this news. She hadn't mentioned him at all to Bella in days, but as soon as she was able to have some time alone with her sister, she had to open up.

"I saw the way you looked at me, Bella, when Sue told us the news about Jasper. I know I looked nervous, but please don't think it's because I'm still in love with him. The news simply caught me by surprise is all, and to make it worse, I suddenly felt as if every pair of eyes in the room was on me. But I promise you that the news neither causes me any pleasure nor pain."

Bella listened to her sister, quietly thinking. Had she not seen Jasper back in Ithaca, she may have supposed that he was simply coming to spend the last of the holidays in his Estate. But she had a feeling that Jasper still cared for Jane, and she wondered if he was making this trip now with his friend's approval, or without it.

And despite what Alice had just said, Bella could clearly see the continued agitation in Alice's demeanor: the flushed cheeks, the accelerated breathing, and the brightness in her eyes. Clearly, Alice was much more affected by the news than she would let on.

And so the subject that had been raised between their parents over half a year ago once again resurfaced.

"Charlie, as soon as Jasper is back in town, you've got to go pay him a visit."

"Heck, no. You nagged me into visiting him last year, promising me that if I did so he'd definitely marry one of our girls, yet nothing ever came of it! I'm not making a fool out of myself again!"

"Charlie, darn it, you have to pay him a visit! It's the neighborly thing to do!"

"It's a stupid thing to do! If he wants our company, let him go out of his way to get it. He knows where we live. I refuse to spend my time chasing down a neighbor every time he returns from somewhere!"

"But it would be rude of you not to!" She huffed. "Fine! Whatever! I'll ask him to come have dinner with us!"

Charlie ignored her and went back to reading his paper, but Renee already felt better.

"I'm actually starting to wish he wasn't coming at all," Alice said to Bella when they had a moment alone in the kitchen while they took care of the dinner dishes. "It's not so much that I care, but it's all Mom speaks of. I know she means well, but she has no idea how much she tortures me with her words. I can't wait to return to New York!"

"I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better," Bella said sympathetically. "Alice, have you ever thought that maybe-"

Bella's words were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. As they weren't expecting any visitors, and they'd already had their daily visit from Sue, Alice and Bella both looked at one another, wondering who it could possibly be.

Bella handed Alice her towel. "You finish. I'll go see who it is."

She took a few steps in the direction of the front room, from where she heard a couple of familiar voices-

And came to an immediate halt when she saw Jasper – with Edward standing next to him.

Bella made a silent and immediate about face right back into the kitchen, dropping down into a chair.

Before Alice could ask her what was the matter, Lauren and Renee ran into the kitchen.

"Jasper is here!" Renee whispered loudly, a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah," Lauren confirmed, "and he's with that friend of his, Edward What's-his-name, you know, the tall, hot and conceited dude."

Renee smirked. "Ugh! Well, I suppose as long as Jasper is here, we have to put up with that friend of his, but I've got to be honest, though he may be _smokin'_ hot, I can't stand him!"

Alice looked at Bella, her features full of shock and concern. She didn't know much of what had happened between Bella and Edward in Ithaca, and so she could only imagine how awkward and uneasy Bella must feel at the thought of having to see him again after the things that had happened in Madrona and that disastrous letter.

Still, it wasn't just Bella who felt uncomfortable; Alice was in turmoil as well, and both felt sympathy for what the other must be feeling at that moment. Yet it was impossible for them to share one single word with each other, with the way Renee kept going on and on; about how much she disliked Edward, and how she would only allow him into her house solely as a favor to Jasper.

But Bella had more reasons to be disconcerted by Edward's visit than even Alice could ever imagine. Bella hadn't shared what she found out about Edward from Jessica and Emmett. So while to Alice, Edward was merely the man whom Bella had turned down and who she'd grossly misjudged, Bella knew him to be not only the person whom she now loved, but also the person the entire family had to thank for not only rescuing Jessica, but also for financially supporting her _and_ her child for the foreseeable future! Her bewilderment at his return to Netherfield Estate, to Forks, and voluntarily putting himself in her path once more was equal to that which she'd felt when first bumping into him in Ithaca.

The pallor which had settled on her face over the past few days immediately vanished, and in its placed settled a rosy hue, a bright glow, and an insuppressible smile lifted the corners of her mouth, her eyes sparkling the way they used to as she allowed herself a few moments to believe that maybe, just maybe his affection for her hadn't diminished at all.

But she had to be sure. _"I'll let him take the lead,"_ she said to herself, _"and see how he acts towards me before I get my hopes up."_

With renewed determination, Bella lifted herself out of her chair and straightened her back, leading all the women back into the front room.

Emmett and her father were still greeting Jasper and Edward when they walked back into the room, and so Bella wasn't able to command Edward's attention immediately. Instead, she stole a quick look at Alice, who looked as flushed as Bella felt, yet appeared calm and patient, much more so than Bella was sure she seemed.

And then she felt Edward's eyes on her.

She immediately turned towards him, her breathing so shallow she was sure everyone in the room must be able to perceive it, but she waited.

"Hi, Bella."

Two simple words. She wasn't sure what else she'd expected. For him to throw himself on his knees? To rush her and take her in his arms? To declare his never-ending love for her in front of everyone?

She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it certainly hadn't been those two innocuous, meaningless words.

"Hey, Edward."

They all finished their greetings, but Bella's heart and mind were in such disruption that she couldn't even say how Alice and Jasper had greeted each other. At some point, they all sat down together in the front room and took up conversation, though Bella said as little as was possible while still appearing friendly and animated. She only allowed herself one glance towards Edward: he looked as solemn and uncomfortable as he'd ever looked, much more as he'd appeared all those months back in Forks than he'd appeared just a few days ago at Pemberley. Perhaps he couldn't be in as much ease around her family as he'd been back at Pemberley. It was a painful thought, but not at all improbable.

She had also hazarded a quick look at Jasper. While he also looked a bit embarrassed, there was no denying how pleased he appeared as well.

"Jasper, we have missed you so much around here!" Renee said.

"Thanks, Mrs. Swan, I've missed your family as well."

"The neighborhood simply hasn't been the same without you! I sincerely hope you plan to stay for a long, long time!"

"I'm still not sure how long I'll be staying. It depends on a few things."

"On what?" Renee pleaded with desperation. "I mean, just tell us what will make your visit more enjoyable, and we'll definitely strive to do it!"

Bella was beyond embarrassed by her mother's display, especially compared to her curt and almost impolite manner with Edward.

"Mr. Cullen, I hope you've been well." But the sneer on Renee's face rather negated those false wishes.

"Thank you, Ma'am I have. And I hope you and your family have been well also."

"Why shouldn't we be? Do you think just because our family doesn't have all the advantages of being born into wealth that _some_ obviously have, we'd have trouble staying well?"

"No, of course not, Ma'am, that's not what I think at all."

"Hmph!" Renee snorted. "Do my daughters not look perfectly healthy and happy to _you_? Do they appear less "tempting" than all those rich girls you must hang out with?" she taunted him.

Bella wanted to crawl into a wall and die at her mother's shameful display, especially when this woman owed the man she was currently provoking for her favorite niece's current and future well-being.

Edward let his eyes trail around the room, barely meeting Bella's gaze. "Your girls all look wonderful to me."

Again, Renee simply snorted.

Emmett soon cut in, and engaged Edward in much more pleasant conversation, while Renee continued to gush over Jasper, and Jasper tried to draw Alice into conversation more and more. Eventually, Emmett, in seeing that Bella and Edward were not getting on as he'd hoped, tried to draw both into conversation with each other, but it was awkward and stilted conversation at best, and those few times when Bella would give into her craving to look at Edward, she'd find him looking at Alice, or at Emmett, or at the wall, but never at her.

To say that she was hurt and angry would be an understatement. Yet the anger was directed completely at herself because really, what else could she have expected after what had happened?

"_But then why the hell did he come?"_ she asked herself.

"Edward, how's Rosalie?" she dared ask.

"She'd doing well, Bella, thanks."

Renee's loud voice drew in everyone's attention.

"Jasper, we were starting to worry we'd never see you again! So many things have happened since the last time you were here with us. Leah Clearwater is engaged to our good friend, Jake, and they're off living in Madrona together. But even better than that, I'm going to be a grandmother!" she exclaimed proudly.

"Are you?" Jasper smiled graciously.

"Yes! Well, it was a bit of a funny affair," she said, waving off the particulars of the story, "but Jessica is having a baby, and a baby in any way, shape or form is always a blessing. Don't you agree?"

"I'm sure I do," Jasper replied, making his congratulations to Jessica, who received them proudly. At least, she sounded proud. Bella had no idea how she looked because she didn't dare lift her eyes from the floor, ashamed beyond words and terrified to see Edward's expression through all this.

"It's wonderful to know you're going to be a grandparent," Renee continued, "though I don't think I look old enough to be a grandparent. Do you, Jasper?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Swan. You look as young and beautiful as your daughters."

Renee blushed profusely at this compliment. "Why, thank you! And my daughters thank you too! See, I told them not to worry if _some_ men see themselves as too high and mighty to find them attractive" – her eyes flashes angrily in Edward's direction, quickly softening before coming back to Jasper – "because there are other men just as important who _can_ see their beauty!"

Bella could barely breathe through the mortification.

"Jasper, do you plan on staying in Forks through New Year's then?" she asked, in an effort to change the subject.

"Yes, Bella, I do."

"That's wonderful," Bella said cheerfully.

"I was hoping…" – Jasper glanced nervously at Alice – "that we could all spend some time together in the next couple of days.

The shame and mortification Bella was just feeling now took second place to the happiness she felt at the way Jasper watched Alice, and the hope she felt rekindling between the both of them. She would bear this embarrassing display if it meant Alice's ultimate happiness.

"That's a great idea," Bella smiled encouragingly.

Conversation continued, and though Bella tried to speak equally to everyone in the room, she couldn't help but notice how Jasper reserved most of his conversation for Alice. For her part, Alice tried to be as friendly as ever, but the events of the past few months had left her wary, and she wasn't as talkative as she may have once been.

After an hour or so of conversation, Jasper and Edward looked at each other, and the former, though obviously unwillingly, rose to take his leave, Edward following.

"Well, we've taken up enough of your time. It was really great to see you all again," Jasper began, but was quickly cut off by Renee.

"Jasper! Jasper! We're having a nice, quiet New Year's Eve dinner here at home tomorrow! You owe us a dinner, if you'll remember! You were supposed to come over last summer before you returned to New York. I was very disappointed that you didn't keep your word on that. Please say you'll join us? You too, Mr. Cullen," she threw in, with a quick roll of her eyes.

This time it was Jasper's turn to blush. His gaze moved to Alice apologetically, but Alice was staring at the floor.

"I want to apologize profusely for the events of last summer, Mrs. Swan. It was…very wrong of me to leave so suddenly, and I would be more than honored to join your family for New Year's Eve dinner, as would Edward, I'm sure."

Edward simply nodded once.

OOOOOOOOOO

Though it was almost midnight, the house was in an uproar when Jasper and his friend left. Renee couldn't stop talking, moving from one side of the house to the next, excited and elated, terrified yet planning.

"We have to go into Seattle early tomorrow morning and buy the best darn roast we can find! And appetizers! We need loads and loads of appetizers! Nothing but the best for Jasper! Not that I think he's coming for the food, but we don't want that uppity Mr. Cullen talking smack about what we serve for dinner!"

As for Bella, she craved the quiet and privacy of her bed to reflect on everything that had occurred that night. Edward's behavior had left her confused and heartsick.

"If he came only to be sullen and indifferent, why the hell did he come at all?" she asked herself.

In the now silence of the house, she could find no answer that pleased her.

"Why was he so friendly to Emmett, to Alice, even to my cousins, and not to me? If he doesn't care about me anymore, why did he avoid my gaze? Ugh! What a confusing man! That's it," – she banged her pillow with her fist – "I refuse to think about him anymore!"

She was actually able to keep that resolution for the next fifteen minutes or so because Alice crept into her room and sat down quietly at the edge of her bed. Bella realized that she'd been so preoccupied with Edward that she'd forgotten to speak to Alice about Jasper.

She now looked up at a grinning Alice.

"You look happy," Bella teased.

"I am," Alice responded. "With myself more than anything. I think I handled that pretty well all things considering, don't you? I mean, it could've been really awkward, more awkward than Mom made it, but I think I was perfectly indifferent to him. I didn't let him see how much he'd hurt me a few months ago. I didn't embarrass myself any further than Mom already did me the favor of doing. Now I know how strong I can be in front of him and have no reason to fear another encounter with him again. I'm actually glad Mom invited them over for dinner tomorrow. It'll give me a chance to practice my indifference to him again."

Bella snorted. "Oh yeah, you were both _very_ indifferent to each other," she chuckled. "So much so that he could barely walk out the door tonight. Edward had to guide him out. You'd better rethink that entire speech, Alice."

Alice frowned down at her sister. "Do you really think me that weak, Bella, that I won't be able to stay strong for a couple of days more?"

"I don't think you're weak, Alice honey. I think you're still in love. And I think he's still in love with you." She sat up in bed and patted her sister's hand. "Proceed carefully, yes, but don't hold your feelings back this time, Alice. True love…" – she sighed again – "True love is something so special, and when we finally find it, we should never let go."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**I'm thinking there's about 3 or so chapters left to this story, give or take. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa918**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	30. A&A Ch 30 (P&P Ch 54)

**A/N: Thanks so much for hanging in there, guys. I love hearing from you all. :)**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. The rest is me. Sorry.**

**A&A Ch. 30 (P&P Ch. 54)**

* * *

The next day, Renee was as excited as she'd ever been in her life and it showed - much to the dread of her family. To her credit, she did actually try to offer some assistance to her two daughters as they prepared the New Year's Eve meal, but as her help was the type one was better off without, her daughter's persuaded her that she'd be of much more use outside of the kitchen.

Jasper and Edward arrived promptly at eight p.m. on New Year's Eve. Small talk soon followed in the family room, but just as the day before, Edward did not seek Bella out, and Bella, now determined not to let him see how much his indifference hurt and affected her, did not seek him out either. Instead, she busied herself with watching how Alice and Jasper fared with one another.

Unlike Edward, Jasper had apparently made it his mission to woo Alice this evening. He sat next to her, directed most of his conversation in her direction, and Renee made sure to help them both along every step of the way.

Bella could see that Alice was still wary when it came to Jasper, but she could also see the love Alice still felt for him, along with the concerted effort Jasper was making in pleasing Alice. It would probably take great effort on Jasper's part, but if he was really willing to make amends and to prove to Alice that he loved her, Bella was sure that Alice would eventually soften towards him again. Knowing that Alice's happiness would eventually be secured was the only bright spot of the evening for Bella, as her own hopes for love now appeared to be a thing of the past.

Now, Bella stole a glance at Edward to see if she could determine his thoughts on his friend and her sister. But Edward seemed to be keeping to himself, and his expression was one of complete indifference. His cool gaze suddenly met hers, and she gasped quietly and turned away.

When they moved to the small dining room for dinner, Jasper again took a seat next to Alice. Bella sat on Alice's other side, with her father at the head of the table, next to her, Emmett next to him, and her cousins on his other side. Edward was therefore left with the last seat at the other end of the table, next to Bella's mother. If Bella would've been feeling as unkind and ungenerous towards him as she'd felt just a few months ago, she probably would've found this to be a most humorous situation, as Edward would've probably preferred any other seat to that one. As it was, Bella was sure neither Edward nor her mother would benefit from the current seating arrangement.

Unfortunately, conversation around the table was sufficiently loud, and Bella was seated sufficiently far enough so that she couldn't hear the discourse that seldom occurred between Edward and her mother. But the few words that they did exchange were spoken coolly, as Bella could clearly see, and formally, with absolutely no smiles or warmth. Despite the fact that Edward was apparently determined to ignore her from now on, Bella couldn't help but feel indignation on his behalf. Her mother's impoliteness made the debt the family owed Edward even more painful to bear. At that moment, Bella would've given anything to be able to yell her and her family's gratitude to him from the highest mountain, in the highest voice.

Her thoughts were taking on a dramatic flair; she knew they were. It was almost funny how her love for this man had transformed her into a drama queen, something she would've _never_ pictured herself as in her life.

Either way, drama queen or not, Bella had to speak to him. Somehow, she had to try to get a minute alone with him so that they could talk beyond the simple and mundane pleasantries that they'd done with so far. Anxious and nervous, Bella regarded dinnertime as a burdensome affair. The food tasted dry and bland, and she couldn't wait for it to be finished.

When dinner was finally over, Bella and her sisters cleared the table, and once clean-up was complete, Bella was alone in the kitchen, preparing a pot of coffee for dessert.

She heard slow, hesitant footsteps behind her, and when she felt his warm breath caress her shoulders, her heart rate accelerated furiously. Bella closed her eyes and stilled, waiting.

"Do you need help?" Edward asked.

Bella grimaced quietly at the trivial question, but didn't respond. _"If that's all he says, if he says nothing else to me, I swear, I'll give him up forever,"_ she thought to herself.

She heard him sigh behind her, felt his heated breath prickle the sensitive skin at her neck. Then she felt a hand wrap around her waist and tighten.

"_Bella_…"

"Bella, for goodness sakes, what's taking you so long with that coffee? Jasper is waiting for a cup!"

Edward's hand quickly dropped away, and she felt him take a step back, a cold shiver passing through her at the loss of his proximity.

He cleared his throat. "I'll bring in the mugs." When she turned around, he was walking out of the kitchen, mugs in hand, shoulders straight and stiff.

"Hmph!" Renee snorted at his retreating form, shaking her head. "What a waste of a perfect specimen." She then turned to Bella. "You're welcome, by the way," she grinned.

"You're welcome?" Bella repeated. "What do you mean, 'you're welcome'?"

"Well," Renee replied, looking at Bella as if the reason why she owed her mother thanks should've been plainly obvious, "for rescuing you from having to be alone for one second with that annoying man! What was he doing? Instructing you on how to make his coffee to his exact specifications?" she sneered. "Hmph!"

Bella glared at her mother. If it wasn't for her inborn instincts, which told her that striking your own mother was completely wrong, Renee would've found herself with five finger marks across her face.

Instead, she simply shook her head and scowled. "Oh Mother."

And then coffee pot in hand, she walked out, leaving Renee to the assurance that she would never understand her youngest daughter.

OOOOOOOOOO

As the hours wore on, the Swan household bade farewell to the old year and prepared to welcome the new one. Her cousins laughed and played with one another, Emmett and Edward took up the friendship they'd begun forming over the past few days, Jasper and Alice talked and laughed and renewed their own friendship, even Bella's parents seemed to have called a truce for the evening.

And through it all, Bella followed Edward around with her eyes. She was jealous of everyone he spoke to, barely had patience to serve the champagne that Renee had bought for tonight's celebration, and the entire time hated herself for being so stupid.

"_A man who I already turned down once!"_ she scoffed to herself as she sat alone on the sofa. "_Of course he'd think twice before renewing his affections! And after everything that's happened in the past few days, of course he'd decide the trouble was more than it would all be worth!" _

So while on the surface Bella appeared to be as happy and cheerful as everyone else, inside her heart ached for all of the promise she'd once thought the New Year would bring.

She was so involved in her misery that she failed to realize that Edward had approached her and was now taking a seat at her side. When his thigh pressed against hers, her body shivered of its own volition.

He held out his empty champagne flute, requesting a refill.

Wordlessly, Bella picked up the bottle and served him another glass.

"Is Rosalie still at Pemberley?" she asked, unable to meet his gaze, acutely aware of the warmth of his thigh pressed up against hers. How she wished she would've worn that short skirt Alice picked out for her tonight.

"Yes, she'll be there through the New Year." His voice was soft and low. He adjusted his position, his thigh rubbing up against hers, and Bella had to repress her need to purposely rub her own leg against his.

"Is she there alone?" she inquired, staring at her champagne flute with the utmost concentration.

"No. Mr. Reynolds and his family are there with her. They often spend the holidays with us."

Bella nodded, unable to think of anything else to say. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, so close together, yet she felt like they were worlds apart. All around them, their friends and her family partied and vibrated with the excitement that comes with knowing that only one hour remains of the current year.

"Jasper and your sister seem to be getting along well," he noted.

Bella let her eyes trail to Alice and Jasper. They sat apart from everyone else in the room, at the dining table all by themselves. Jasper had his hand wrapped around Alice's hand, and Bella could see how he whispered something intently to Alice, his face close to hers. And though Alice stared down at the floor, even from the distance, Bella could see the way the corners of Alice's mouth lifted; she could feel the hope resonating inside of her sister.

Bella sighed. "Yes. I'd wager that Alice will be a lot happier in New York than she's been up to this point."

Edward said nothing, simply took a sip from his flute.

"Did you have anything to do with Jasper's return?" Bella dared ask, still refusing to look directly at him.

"I made…a confession to him, at Pemberley a couple of days ago."

Bella figured this must've been right after his return from Seattle.

"I told him things that, as one of my closest friends, I should've told him a long time ago, but I suppose he was so involved in his own happiness and then misery that he hadn't noticed. I also told him that I'd been wrong to assume that Alice hadn't really cared for him and that if he was really lucky and she still cared for him as she once had, and could now find it in her heart to forgive him, he'd be an idiot not to take the chance."

"And how did he take that information?"

"He was more surprised than angry, that is until I also confessed that Alice had tried to contact him when she'd arrived in New York, and Tanya and I had kept that from him. Then…" – from the corner of her eye, Bella could see Edward shaking his head ruefully – "Then, he was really pissed off at me. But Jasper has always been an easy-going, trusting sort of guy. I suppose it's why we get along so well. They say that opposites attract…" At that, Edward cleared his throat. "Anyway, his anger lasted about as long as it took him to lay eyes on your sister once more. Once he saw her again, well…he's been doing nothing but whistling and humming to himself since. He's a good guy; he just needs how to trust his own instincts."

Bella could hear the smile in Edward's voice, and it made her smile in return. Slowly, she turned to look at him. When their eyes finally met, she was captivated by the warmth in his gaze, by the inner and outer beauty that absolutely resonated off of him. How it had taken her so long to see, she had no idea. But perhaps she'd always been captivated by him. She'd just never known how to react to it.

"I want you to know how…grateful I am to you, for bringing Jasper back to Alice."

Edward held her gaze, but something seemed to shift in his eyes. Their warmth appeared to fade slowly, and he looked almost…disappointed.

"Bella, I don't want your _gratitude_."

Bella frowned, and was about to ask him what he meant, but then Lauren plopped down beside her, almost making her spill her champagne, and asked for a sip. And while Bella took a minute to explain to Lauren why she wouldn't condone underage drinking, Edward excused himself and walked away. The heat her entire body had felt at where they'd been physically connected immediately receded, leaving her cold in its wake.

OOOOOOOOOO

The merriment and festivities at the Swan household continued, and with the two minute count-down upon them, Renee quickly handed out hats, noisemakers and confetti to everyone present, and together with Ryan Seacrest, the entire household counted down the last ten seconds of the old year:

"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"

Bella looked around the house, and with the wistfulness that the last few seconds of the year always affords, she realized that though her family might be insane, she loved them and was grateful for them all.

She looked at Alice and Jasper, standing together hand in hand, and couldn't help the warmth and happiness she felt for them.

She looked at her cousin Emmett and thanked God for giving her one normal relative besides Alice.

And then she looked at Edward.

As if she'd called him by name, as soon as her eyes landed on him, he turned and held her gaze.

"Five, four, three…"

For two bittersweet seconds, she allowed herself the hope that perhaps the New Year might still bring the realization of hopes she'd never even thought she'd possess. And for those two seconds, locked in each other's eyes, it was so easy to believe that Edward was wishing for the same thing.

"Two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Throngs of cheers erupted around Bella while the old familiar New Year's tune rang out from the TV. Confetti floated in the air. Her father popped the cork on yet another bottle of champagne while Renee kissed him soundly, laughing loudly against his mouth.

Her cousins hugged and giggled. Emmett and Edward shook each other's hand and then pulled one another in for a one-handed back pat. Off in a corner, Jasper placed soft, tender kisses on Alice's mouth.

Charlie hugged Bella and then Renee, and her cousins, and Alice, and Emmett.

She received hug after hug, quick kiss after quick kiss, until it was finally Edward standing before her.

Time stood still for an eternity as they stood before each other. Edward placed his hands on Bella's shoulders, gripping her tight, and pulled her in. She closed her eyes…

…and felt his warm lips brush against her forehead. He held them there for a few heartbreaking seconds before she felt him pull away.

"Happy New Year, Bella."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Hey, don't blame me for the way these two are acting. I'm just retelling the story in a modern setting. :)**

**Anyway, apparently my saying that there were only about three chapters left may have been underestimating things a bit. So let's just say a handful or so, shall we?**

****SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT**: I wrote a little short story last month called, "OPEN RANGE," which is now being features as Fic of The Week over at The Lemonade Stand. Just letting you all know in case you want to head over there and read the review prepared by my good friend Cared, and give the story a read if you haven't already. :) **

**triple w dot tehlemonadestand dot net. **

****SHAMELESS PLUG NOW OVER****

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**I'll be starting a completely new story after this is done, so if you're interested, you may want to make sure you've got me on Author/Story Alert. :)**

**Thanks!**


	31. A&A Ch 31 (P&P Ch 55 & 56)

**A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters in P&P...**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. The rest is me. Sorry. :0**

**A&A Ch. 31 (P&P Chs. 55 & 56)**

* * *

Though it was almost one in the morning, it was impossible to shut up Renee after Jasper and Edward took their leave in the early hours of the New Year. She reclined lazily against the sofa while Alice, Bella and Emmett finished cleaning up the mess that had been left behind.

"Well girls, I think that went _extremely_ well. Dinner was delicious; dessert was grand. Even Edward acknowledged that was the best Tiramisu he'd ever had – so congratulations, Bella, because he's probably had Tiramisu made by the finest chefs in the country! But you, Alice," Alice tried to ignore her mother, and kept right on picking up every last bit of invisible confetti she could find on the carpet, "you were the one in your element tonight. The way you had Jasper eating out of your hand was priceless! You played your cards perfectly!"

"Mom, please," Bella begged on her sister's behalf, "don't tease Alice that way. She wasn't playing any cards."

Renee rolled her eyes. "I'm not teasing anyone. I'm merely stating the facts. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he proposes marriage by tomorrow!" She cackled. "Even that brooding friend of his wasn't enough to turn Jasper's attention away from Alice!"

"I've told you before, Mom, treating Edward badly is no way to make a good impression on his friend," Bella said through clenched teeth. Though Edward had broken her heart, she still refused to stand by and let her mother talk badly about him.

"That's true," agreed Emmett. "Besides, you have no way of knowing what may have been troubling Edward tonight. "_Nobody_ does," he added, with a pointed glare in Bella's direction, "unless you want to ask him directly."

"The problem with that is that I don't care enough to ask him," Renee chuckled. "All of Edward's millions put together couldn't induce me to care enough," she said almost convincingly. "Jasper is back, and he's groveling at Alice's feet; that's all I care about!"

OOOOOOOOOO

About an hour later, Bella and Alice were talking quietly in their bedroom.

"The evening went well," Alice said calmly. "Much better than I dared hope it would go."

Bella grinned at Alice, the light of the full moon outside illuminating her impish smile.

Alice pushed her sister playfully. "Don't look at me like that, Bella. Jasper and I have agreed to take things slowly, that's all. Don't go marrying me off already like Mom is doing. I've got a long way to go before I can trust him again!"

"You're very mean, you know," Bella said teasingly to Alice. "You don't want me to look at you this way or that, or to start planning your wedding, yet the way you and Jasper looked at each other tonight left practically everything settled except for the color of the bridesmaid's dresses – I'm thinking blue, by the way. I've always thought I look rather nice in blue."

Alice rolled her eyes, but she couldn't suppress a smile. "Sometimes you're just as impossible as Mom."

Now it was Bella's turn to shove Alice. They laughed for a few seconds, but then Bella looked at her sister solemnly.

"Remember what I told you last night, okay? It's okay to be careful, but this time, make sure he knows exactly how you feel. Don't hide your feelings from each other anymore because what you two have," – Bella had to swallow the lump in her throat and look away from her sister's curious gaze – "what you two have is special. Love like that doesn't come around very often."

She finished in a whisper, unable to trust her voice any higher than that, sure that if she tried to speak another word the floodgate she'd been holding back since Edward's departure, since the tender yet chaste kiss he'd given her on the forehead at midnight, would finally break.

"Hey," she heard Alice say, though she still didn't dare meet her gaze. "Bella, are you okay?"

Bella forced herself to smile, and then with another thick swallow, brought her eyes back to Alice.

"Yes, Alice. Yes, I'm just fine."

OOOOOOOOOO

On New Year's Day, Jasper arrived bright and early for a visit – alone. Bella forced a cheery expression regardless, if not for her sake, then for that of her sister and her cousin, Emmett, who appeared extremely concerned on her behalf.

"I don't understand," Emmett said. He and Bella were taking an afternoon jog around the neighborhood. Alice and Jasper had started the jog with them, but had already disappeared somewhere. "Things between you and Edward seemed so sure back in Ithaca. I don't know what could've gone wrong."

Bella, who understood Edward's dilemma, his brotherly instincts to protect Rosalie from any reminder of Mike Newton, couldn't say anything to clear things up for Emmett. Despite her own pain, she would never betray either Edward's or Rosalie's confidence.

"I suppose he just had a change of heart," she said, her eyes trained straight ahead of her as she ran.

"But that's not possible," Emmett insisted. "I saw the way he looked at you, the way he acted around you! I'm telling you, I've never seen a guy as much in love as Edward was with you in Ithaca! Even Jasper's display over the last couple of days couldn't hold a candle to it! Bella, you have to speak to him!"

Bella stopped running and rounded on her cousin. "No, Emmett. Edward has a right to his decision, and it's not my place to question it."

"Fine, if you won't speak to him, then I will!" Emmett retorted.

Bella dug her index finger into her cousin's concrete-like chest. "No, you won't! It's none of our places to question Edward on what he has to do!"

"What he _has_ to do?" Emmett asked, frowning.

Bella took a couple of steps back. "Look, sometimes…sometimes there are things bigger than us, reasons bigger than love, especially if that love wasn't all that consuming in the first place," she added dryly, unable to fully suppress a streak of resentment in the face of such bitter disappointment.

"If that love wasn't…" Emmett mimicked. "Bella, that's bull. Back in Ithaca, it was clear to anyone with two eyes that what you two had was special. I mean I may never have been in that kind of love before, but even I know that when you find something like that, you should never let it go. That kind of love doesn't come around very often."

Bella eyes widened in realization that Emmett's words were basically the same ones she herself had spoken to Alice in the past couple of days.

But Alice and Jasper's circumstances were completely different from that of Edward's and hers.

"Just…" – she sighed – "just promise me that you won't speak to him about this."

Emmett glared at her defiantly.

"Emmett," she warned with a raised brow.

"I'll promise not to speak to him about it, if you promise that you'll at least consider speaking to him before he returns to New York tomorrow."

"Emmett…" she complained.

"Bella…" Emmett retorted.

Bella exhaled loudly. "Fine. I promise to at least consider speaking to him."

OOOOOOOOOO

When Bella returned to the house, Alice was in their bedroom, sitting on the bed with a huge grin on her face and tears in her eyes.

"It's not right to be this happy!" she chuckled. "It can't possibly be right to be this happy!"

Bella approached her. "You deserve your happiness, Alice."

"He told me he just realized last night how much he loves me."

"Of course he loves you. How could he not?"

"We're still going to take it slowly when we return to New York, but I have a good feeling about us this time."

"I have a good feeling too," Bella grinned, thinking to herself how wonderful it was that after months of her sister's heartache, after interference from Edward and lies from Tanya, things were finally falling in place for Alice.

"He told me that he had no idea that I'd tried to contact him when I arrived in New York a few months ago."

Bella knew this to be true. Edward had told her how he and Tanya had kept this information from Jasper.

"What else did he tell you about that?" Bella asked.

"That's it. But I'd spoken to Tanya at the time, so it's pretty obvious that it was she that kept that information from him. Tanya and Irina never wanted Jasper and I to be together; I see that now. Though I can't help hoping that they change their minds once they see how happy we are together, at the end of the day, their opinion no longer makes any difference to me."

"Bravo!" Bella clapped joyously. "That right there is the most unforgiving speech I've ever heard you make, and I applaud you for it. Honestly, it would piss me off to ever see you get duped by Tanya and Irina again!"

"He also apologized for allowing himself to be so easily persuaded that I didn't care for him a few months ago."

Bella nodded solemnly. "Yes, he should've used his own judgment, and I'm glad to hear that he acknowledges that."

Alice agreed, and Bella was relieved to see that Jasper hadn't betrayed Edward's involvement any further to Alice. As far as Bella was concerned, Edward had already more than made amends for his involvement in that scheme. Though Alice was the most forgiving person she'd ever known, she didn't want her to have any reason to hold the slightest grudge against Edward.

"Oh, God, I'm so happy!" Alice repeated. "Bella, I hope you find someone as great as Jasper someday!"

"If I were to find fifty men like Jasper, I still wouldn't be as happy as you are, Alice. I'm simply not made that way," she joked. "But give me time. Maybe if I'm very lucky, I may someday find myself another Jake."

Alice stared at her, and then both girls broke out into fits of laughter that brought tears to their eyes once again.

OOOOOOOOOO

Later that evening, Sue Clearwater came by for a visit. Of course, she'd already heard all about the reconciliation between Jasper and Alice, and the Swan family was once again pronounced to be the luckiest family in all of Forks – though it was only a few days ago, when Jessica's predicament had been all the rage, they'd been pronounced to be anything but.

After the entire household had retired for the night, Bella lay awake in her bed. Alone with her thoughts, she could no longer hold back the ache in her chest. She'd be returning to school in Seattle the next morning, and with the holidays behind her, all her hopes for the New Year would be left behind as well.

He hadn't even said a proper goodbye.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Bella snuck a quick look at the alarm clock on the nightstand, which showed it to be past two in the morning. When the doorbell rang again, it woke up Alice. Both girls looked at each other in confusion.

Again, the doorbell rang. Bella leapt to her feet and went straight to the window.

"Who is it?" Alice asked.

"I'm not sure," Bella responded, "but there's a big, black limo parked across the street."

Both girls hurried downstairs, where Renee and Charlie were by the door. When they opened it, Bella had to get on her tip toes to try to see past them to the person standing outside.

"Yes?" she heard her father ask.

"I'm looking for Isabella Swan."

Bella recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it. Slowly, the two bodies in front of her parted and made it possible for her to come face to face with none other than Senator Jane De Volturi.

"Senator?"

The Senator glared at Bella, making no attempt to respond.

"_Senator_?" Renee repeated.

Without an actual invitation, the Senator made her way into the house, bypassing Bella and her parents. Once in the front room, she turned around to face Bella once more.

"I suppose these are your parents, Isabella."

"Yes, they are. This is my father, Charles Swan, and my mother, Renee. Mom, Dad, this is Senator Jane De Volturi."

"And I suppose that's your sister," the Senator continued, without acknowledging the introduction to Bella's parents.

"Yes!" Renee answered anxiously. "This is Bella's older sister, Alice! She's dating Jasper Whitlock. I'm not sure if you've heard of him, but he's a wonderful young man. He practices Law in-"

"I've heard of Jasper," the Senator sneered, cutting off Renee mid-sentence. "He's one of my nephew's closest friends."

"_Your nephew?"_ Renee questioned.

For a few seconds, the Senator simply glared at Renee in a way that managed to shut up even someone such as herself. The Senator then switched her hard eyes to Emmett, who was standing in the back with his arms crossed over his huge chest.

"And who is this?"

"This is my cousin, Emmett."

The Senator continued glaring, but unlike Renee, Emmett glared right back.

Senator De Volturi snorted and turned around, her eyes taking in every inch of the house with an obvious lack of pleasure.

"You have a very small place here. How you all manage to live under one roof is beyond me."

"Uhm, yes, it's small," Renee stuttered stupidly, "but the girls manage to keep it clean and comfortable."

The Senator smirked at her. "This front room is cold and drab."

"I keep telling my husband that we need to redecorate, but you know how men are…" Renee trailed off, unsure as to what else to say.

Bella interrupted anxiously. "Are Leah and Jake alright?" Their imprisonments or deaths were the only reasons Bella could think of for the Senator's middle-of-the-night visit.

"They're fine," the Senator responded curtly. "I was with them just a few hours ago."

Bella nodded, relieved for her friend Leah if no one else. But now that that was cleared up, she was more lost than ever as to the reason for the Senator being in her house.

"Senator, may I get you something to drink?" Renee asked, having recovered enough from her shock to realize that she had a _Senator_ in her house, for goodness sake! "Some water or coffee? Or perhaps some champagne from last night's celebration! Alice," she said quickly, "go bring the Senator a flute of-"

"I don't want anything to drink!" the Senator snapped. "Isabella, is there anywhere in this tiny house where you and I can speak with some modicum of privacy?"

Bella blinked silently in bewilderment.

"The kitchen, though admittedly small, is the furthest room in the house, Senator. If you'd like to speak to my daughter privately, you and she can certainly go in there, while the rest of us stay here," Renee suggested.

Once more, Senator De Volturi turned a withering gaze towards Renee, who watched her with a mixture of misplaced respect and fear. Then without a word, the Senator turned on her high heels and proceeded towards the kitchen.

"Bella, go!" Renee hissed desperately, shooing her away.

"Bella, if you want me to call a couple of the guys down at the precinct and get her out of here, I will," Charlie offered.

"Yeah, and in the meantime, I'll help," Emmett volunteered.

Bella shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'm rather curious to see what she wants."

Emmett smirked.

"Well, you just let us know if you need anything," Charlie growled.

Bella smiled at her father and patted his arm as she walked past him into the kitchen.

OOOOOOOOOO

Senator De Volturi was standing and waiting with hands on hips when Bella walked into the kitchen. For the next few minutes, neither woman said a word to each other. As it was the Senator that had gotten Bella out of bed for this late night visit, Bella was determined that it would be she who would have to explain her presence.

"_How could I have ever thought her to resemble her nephew in any way?" _Bella asked herself while she waited.

"You must know exactly why I'm here," the Senator finally began. "Your own conscience must tell you why I've found it necessary to make this drive at this time of night."

Bella stared at her with undisguised confusion.

"I'm sorry, Senator, but I have no idea what you're talking about. I have no idea why you've honored us with your presence."

"Isabella Swan," Senator De Volturi spat, enunciating each syllable with clear scorn, "I should warn you, in case you aren't aware, that I'm not someone with whom you want to play games. If you want to play dumb, I _won't_ reciprocate. The reason I'm in office is because I'm known to be tough and frank even if people don't want to hear what I have to say, and that's not going to change now."

Bella was more than a bit shocked at the contempt with which this woman spoke to her, but she refused to give the Senator the satisfaction of seeing her disconcerted. So she remained silent, waiting for the Senator to make the reason for her visit clear.

"A most disgusting piece of gossip fell on my ears last night while I celebrated the New Year! Imagine my shock when I was informed that you, Isabella, might soon be part of my family since you're currently involved in a serious relationship with my nephew, Edward!" she cried. "Now though I know that this garbage has to be false because I wouldn't insult my nephew's tastes so much as to believe it to be true, I decided I had to come here immediately and let you know personally of my thoughts on this subject!"

"If you were so sure that it couldn't be true," Bella hissed through her teeth, her entire frame burning with indignation, "I don't understand why you needed to drive all the way over here. What was the point?"

"The point was to have the rumor contradicted right from your own mouth!"

"Your making your way up here to Forks to see me and my family," said Bella coolly, "would seem to me to be more of a confirmation of the rumor, if such a rumor exists. Wouldn't you think?"

"If?!" the Senator questioned harshly. "Are you going to pretend not to know anything about it? Wouldn't you and your family be the ones who began the rumor in the first place? Do you know how far it's already spread?!"

"I haven't heard anything of it."

"And can you also assure me that it's not true?"

"You may pride yourself in being a frank speaker, Senator, but I never claimed to be the same. You can ask me questions which I may refuse to answer."

At this reply, the Senator's eyes widened so much they appeared to be ready to pop out of their sockets.

"This is unbearable!" she seethed. "I insist on an answer! Are you and my nephew, Edward, involved in a romantic relationship?"

"According to you, it's impossible."

"It should very well be, at least while he's still got his senses! But you…" – the Senator sneered in disgust – "only God knows what the likes of someone like you would do to catch a rich man, what you may have done to my nephew so that in a moment of lust he forgets what he owes to himself and to his family! You've bewitched him!"

"If I have bewitched him, I certainly wouldn't admit it, now would I?"

Senator De Volturi's head reeled back as if she'd been slapped. She stomped her heel angrily into the linoleum.

"Do you not know who I am? I _refuse_ to be spoken to in this manner! I'm one of Edward's closest relatives and have every right to know what's going on in his life!"

"But you have no right to know what's going on in mine, and your current mode of inquiry sure as hell isn't going to induce me to open up."

The Senator drew in a sharp breath. "Let me make myself clearer, if I haven't been clear enough yet. This relationship to which you think you can aspire will go nowhere. _Never_. Edward will marry my daughter! Now what do you have to say to that?"

"Isn't she his cousin?" Bella asked innocently.

"She is _not_ his cousin! Heidi is adopted!"

"It's still weird."

"It is not weird!"

"Fine. Then this is what I have to say: If Edward and Heidi are truly in love then you have no reason to concern yourself about any relationship he may have with me."

Senator De Volturi suddenly seemed uncomfortable.

"The relationship between Heidi and Edward is…difficult to explain to an outsider. Since they were babies, Edward's mother and I always said how wonderful it would be if they grew up and married. It was a dream of hers, and now that they're both older, old enough for those wishes to come true, do you think I'm going to let someone like you, a common nobody, destroy that dream? Don't you care at all about what this would do to his family? Are you that cold and calculating? Are you going to pretend not to understand what I'm saying?"

"Oh, I understand you. I simply don't care," Bella shrugged. "If your sole objection to a possible relationship between your nephew and myself is a dreamed up marriage from Edward's childhood, it certainly won't stop me. You've told me how much you and Edward's mother wished for his and Heidi's marriage. Well, now they're both grown-ups, and if Edward isn't tied to Heidi by love, why can't he make another choice? And if I happen to be that choice, why should I not accept him?"

"Because common decency and class forbids it! Yes, Isabella, I said class! Don't think for a moment that those people in Edward's rightful class will ever accept you into their circle! They'll whisper and laugh about you, and about him by association! Your relationship will be a joke!"

"Wow, that sounds really bad," Bella said with false solemnity. Then she shrugged again. "But I'll have Edward, so what the hell will I care what stuck up, arrogant, fools have to say about us?"

"You money-hungry, filthy…" the Senator trailed off. "I'm disgusted by you! Is this how you thank me for letting you into my home last fall? Don't you think you owe me something for that? You need to understand, Isabella, that I came here with the sole purpose of having my will carried out, and I will not change my mind! I am quite used to having my way, and am not in the habit of giving in!"

"I suppose that'll make your disappointment all the greater, but it'll do nothing to _me_."

"Be quiet and let me finish! Heidi and Edward are from the same social standing! They're cultured, well-traveled, well-educated, and financially well-off individuals. What do you think is going to keep them apart, the pretentious aspirations of a young woman with nothing to her name? Do you think I'll stand for that? If you had any class whatsoever, you wouldn't try to better your position in the world by connecting yourself to someone whose class is so wholly out of your reach."

"Assuming I was in a relationship with Edward, I wouldn't consider his position in the world to be any better or more valuable than is mine! He's a gentleman; I'm a lady. So far, we're perfectly equal."

"A lady!" Senator De Volturi snickered. "What about your mother? What about your uncles? Don't think I don't know all about your family!"

"Whatever you may think my family to be, if Edward has no problem with them, then why should you?"

"Tell me once and for all!" the Senator bellowed. "Are you in a romantic relationship with Edward?"

At that moment, Bella wanted more than anything to withhold the satisfaction of an answer from the Senator, but there was no point in it.

"No, I'm not."

Senator De Volturi let out a long, ragged breath, closing her eyes in obvious relief.

"And will you promise me to never, ever engage in such a relationship with him?"

"I will make no such promise," Bella hissed.

The Senator's eyes snapped open. She shook her head, but she seemed much calmer now.

"Isabella, I have to say, I'm completely disappointed in you. When I first met you back in the fall you struck me as a much more reasonable, young woman. But please don't deceive yourself into thinking that I'll ever back off. I'm not going anywhere until you give me the answer I want."

"And I'll _never_ give it," Bella responded, her voice shaking with fury, yet full of conviction. "I don't care who you think you are, Senator, but please don't deceive yourself into thinking that you can come in here and bully me with empty threats and insults. Do you really think that by getting me to agree to never date Edward it will somehow magically bring about that marriage between him and Heidi, for which you're so desperate? Let's say Edward was in love with me. Do you think that by my turning him down he'd automatically transfer that love over to your adopted daughter? I'm sorry, Senator," she chuckled, "but I've got to say, I hope you present better arguments before the Senate because the arguments you've presented here tonight have been totally lacking of any sound judgment. What's more, you've greatly misjudged me if you think I can be persuaded by such insane arguments as those you've proposed. Whether Edward approves of your interference in his business, I have no idea, but I'll tell you right now, you have no right whatsoever to interfere in mine. I'll have to ask you to leave now."

"Not so fast, Ms. Swan," the Senator snarled. "I'm by no means done with you. You may find all my previous arguments insufficient, but I have one more to add." She grinned evilly. "I'm no stranger to what's going on with your dear cousin, Jessica, and her impending motherhood, nor of how that came about. I know it all. I know that Mike Newton is the father, and I know that Jessica ran off with him willingly and only came back once he was thrown in jail! Now is that the kind of garbage that's to be forever related to my niece and nephew? I don't know why Mike and Edward don't get along any longer, but I rather doubt he'd want Mike's bastard as part of his family! For God's sakes, Isabella, what are you thinking? Are the grounds of Pemberley to be polluted by the likes of you and your trashy family?"

"You've now insulted my family and me about as much as is humanly possible," Bella said, shaking in place, "and can having _nothing_ more to say. I'll have to ask you once more to leave before I call the police and have you physically removed from here."

"Selfish, arrogant creature! Don't you see that a connection to you will only be a degradation to Edward in every way possible?"

"Senator De Volturi, I have nothing else to say to you."

"Then you _are_ going to try to snag him for yourself?"

"Whatever I do or don't do will be because I'll believe it to bring me happiness. It'll have nothing to do with you, or with anyone who has nothing to do with me."

"You refuse to listen to reason, then! You're determined to ruin him!"

"Reason has absolutely no claim on me at the moment, Senator, and if I were to enter into a relationship with Edward, I don't believe I'd be foregoing reason at all! As for what his friends or family would think of our relationship, if that relationship made Edward and I happy, I wouldn't spend one second of my life worrying about anyone else's opinion! Besides, I personally don't believe that the majority of people are as stupid, shallow and ridiculous as you're making them out to be!"

"So this is your final answer! Fine! I now know what I have to do! Don't think that you've won, Isabella! I came here hoping to be able to reason with you, but even if that wasn't possible, believe me, I'll have my way!"

Bella turned around and walked out of the kitchen then, not giving the Senator a chance to continue. She heard the Senator's heels clicking loudly against the floor. And when the Senator walked out the door, Bella slammed it soundly behind her.

Everyone stared at Bella in bewilderment.

"What the hell was all that yelling and screaming about?" Emmett asked.

But Bella was still too infuriated to answer her cousin with any measure of calmness.

Instead she turned to her mother, who was frowning at her.

"Bella, what in the world did you say to the Senator to upset her so much?"

"Mom, the question is what have _you_ been telling Sue Clearwater?"

"About what?"

Bella's nostrils flared. Ever since she could remember, Renee's mouth had been a source of embarrassment to her two daughters. But this time, she may have gone too far.

"About Edward," Bella hissed, her chest heaving. "What did you tell Sue about Edward?"

"Just…that…" – Renee stuttered. Something in her least favorite daughter's demeanor warned her that she had to proceed carefully – "that he was an arrogant, conceited jack-ass. And that…that despite all that garbage he talked last summer about you not being pretty enough to tempt him, he couldn't take his eyes off of you when he and Jasper arrived here the other day. I told her that he obviously wanted you badly and that if you had any sense, you'd play around with him for a little while, get him to buy you some pretty jewelry and take you to some fancy dinners and such, and then dump his ass like he deserved."

"I would never…why would you say that?" Bella whispered in amazement.

"Oh, I know you'd never actually be smart enough to do something like that!" Renee snapped. "I just wanted to make Sue jealous by making her think that _both_ of my girls could get rich, smart and beautiful boyfriends, while her daughter was stuck with an overly-muscular oaf!"

Bella pressed down on her eyelids with her fingers, trying desperately to hold off the migraine that was threatening to take over.

"Do you realize," she said in a low, menacing voice, "that Sue went back and told Leah what you told her, Leah told Jake, and Jake told Senator De Volturi – after adding his own spin on things, I'm sure?"

Renee's bottom lip quivered, but then she squared her shoulders and glared at Bella. "Oh, so what? Who cares what anyone in that family thinks of you, anyway? As long as Jasper doesn't get a whiff of this little debacle, none of it matters. Alice, Honey, make sure you don't tell Jasper about Senator De Volturi's-"

"You are the most clueless woman I've ever met," Bella seethed through clenched teeth.

Renee gasped.

"Do you realize that it was your mouth that almost ruined things for Alice in the first place?"

Renee gaped at Bella, mouth hanging open.

"You defend those that deserve disapproval and disapprove of those you should be defending."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Renee questioned.

Bella simply shook her head. "I'm not even going to bother trying to explain it to you because it would take more energy than I have left right now. Please just do me one favor, Mom," she asked, her voice breaking. "When Jessica's baby is born, please, please, please try to remember that it's that child that'll have to deal with the consequences of your mouth."

And with that, Bella ran up the stairs to her room.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Some things remained true to the original in this chapter, other things changed/were added. We're in different times here, and I'd like to think Bella would've had to say something to her mother at some point about her behavior.**

**And speaking of bad behavior, modernizing Lady Catherine's/Senator De Volturi's tirade reminded me of how insulting she really was to our Lizzy/Bella! What a bitch!**

**Alright, I know we've been wanting some E & B interaction. Those of you who know P&P know more or less what's coming up next chappy. For those of you who don't and missed Edward this chapter, let's just say you won't want to miss the next installment!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	32. A&A Ch 32 (P&P Chs 57-58)

**A/N: So...yeah. Okay, read on. :) **

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plotline belongs to J. Austen. The rest is me.**

**A&A Ch. 32 (P&P Ch. 57 – 58)**

* * *

For the past couple of hours, since Senator De Volturi's departure, Bella's mind and heart had been in turmoil.

She tossed and turned in her bed, trying not to think, but it was no use. The fact that that the Senator had actually taken the long drive from Seattle to Forks simply to ensure that there was no romantic relationship between Bella and Edward was driving her insane.

Bella could imagine the conversation that had taken place around the Senator's grand dining room table the previous night: Jake feeding the Senator all the information he'd just himself gleaned and adding a few juicy bits of his own for good measure. She could picture the indignation on the Senator's face, exactly like the indignation and loathing in her expression when she'd faced Bella. And what was worse, Bella would've bet her life that the Senator hadn't simply returned to Seattle after her confrontation with Bella with her tail tucked between her legs, but had probably gone on to Netherfield Estate to accost her nephew and have him refute the gossip personally, since Bella had refused to do so.

Bella's entire being burned with embarrassment and mortification. She covered her face with the pillow, trying to suffocate the images circling around her head of Senator De Volturi repeating to Edward all the things Jake must've said to her. If Edward hadn't already been decided against a relationship with Bella, this would certainly do the trick.

And with that final, heartbreaking thought, Bella realized that though it was barely five in the morning, there was no way in hell that she'd be getting any sleep. If she did, it would probably be full of nightmares. Even after removing the useless pillow from her face, she felt asphyxiated, the air around her thick and heavy, stealing every breath from her lungs. She couldn't stay under this roof one morning longer.

In a few months, she'd be graduating and moving off to New York City with Alice and Emmett, to attend grad school. Yes, being in the same city as Edward without _being_ with him would be painful, but at least it was a city large enough where he could easily avoid her if he wanted to. It was this thought that finally opened up her lungs again, that lifted the heaviness from her chest and mind. Bella had outgrown Forks and its inhabitants. She had to get away from her mother's thoughtlessness and her father's impotence, even if she'd never have Edward. If he could harden his heart towards her, then she'd have to do the same. And perhaps with time, she'd actually learn to forget him…

With a sigh, Bella threw off her covers and got out of bed. Quietly, she crept to the bathroom she shared with Alice, brushed her teeth and hair and gave her face a quick wash. She looked into the mirror and frowned at her reflection: dark circles under her eyes, wild hair despite the comb, skin sallow and pale.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. No, she wouldn't wallow in misery and self-pity; that's not who Bella was. Her heart was broken, but she'd recover. Eventually, she'd take care of her appearance, sleep better and feel better, but for today, Bella would allow herself to mourn what she'd almost had and then lost.

Her bag had been packed the night before, and so all that was left was to say good-bye to Alice, who was still asleep in her own bed.

She shook her sister softly. When Alice opened her eyes, she gave Bella a frown of concern.

"Is everything okay, Bella?"

"Everything is fine," Bella reassured Alice with a smile. "I'm just heading back to school."

"Why so early?" Alice asked. "Bella, wait a few hours. We can go have breakfast in town with Emmett," she offered, knowing that Bella wouldn't be in the mood to see their mother or cousins at all today.

Bella shook her head. "I think I'd better just go."

"Bella, I know you're upset. Mom shouldn't have said what she said to Sue. I'll speak to Jasper and see if he can let Edward know that you had nothing to do with the garbage Mom apparently-"

Bella shook her head more vehemently this time. "No, it's okay, Alice. I'm not concerned that Edward would think I'd actually ever…" – she exhaled – "Look, I just have to be alone for a while, alright? You and Emmett have a great trip back to New York. Tell him I love him, and I'll call you both soon."

Alice was going to protest and try to convince her sister to stay longer, but they'd been each other's best friends since birth. She knew that when Bella was determined, she didn't usually change her mind. And she knew that though Bella wasn't prone to irritation or melancholy, on the rare occasions when she was in one of those moods and needed to be alone, it was best to leave her so.

"Alright," Alice smiled tenderly. "Drive safe and call me when you reach Seattle, okay?"

Bella nodded and reached out to hug her sister. "I'll miss you."

"You'll be coming to New York yourself in a few months. We'll have a great time together there."

Bella snorted. "Oh yeah. I'm really looking forward to being the third wheel between you and Jasper," she joked.

"You could never be a third wheel."

And with smiles and withheld tears on both ends, Bella picked up her bag and left their room.

OOOOOOOOOO

The winter air was crisp and cool when Bella stepped outside. Her breath swirled in front of her, and she pulled her hood over her head to keep the chill away. The only hint of the approaching dawn was in the faint streak of burgundy running vertically far in the distance. The little bit of light it provided illuminated the thick fog that hung in the air. Bella squinted through the haze and darkness as she walked to her car, the early morning breeze making her shiver.

When Bella saw a dark shadow walking her way through the murky mist, she startled, until the smokey gloom slowly parted around the figure, revealing a tall, lean frame, an anxious yet beautiful face, and green eyes that shone through the dimness all around them.

Bella stood frozen. Her shocked eyes took in a clearly distressed Edward dressed in a black hoodie and what appeared to be checkered pajama bottoms.

"Bella," he breathed, coming to a stop a couple of short feet away from her. His chest heaved, breathing long and labored.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

"I…I was trying to wait until sunrise…"

For what to Bella felt like an endless moment, the two simply stood there, gazes locked on one another yet silent. Bella's tired and tumultuous mind wracked itself for something to say, but there were so many things running through her head, and Edward's intense gaze made her all the more nervous. She could only imagine what he was thinking: about what his aunt had obviously already told him, about the shame he'd had to go through to find Mike and her cousin.

"I'm…going back to school."

He swallowed thickly and nodded, but didn't break his silence.

Bella's heart raced in her chest. "Edward, I've been meaning to thank you," she began, unsure as to what she was saying, only knowing that she had to say _something_. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I need to thank you for the huge way in which you helped us a few days ago, by finding Jessica and…and everything else you did afterwards. Ever since I found out, I've been dying to let you know how grateful I am. And if the rest of my family knew how much we owe you, I'm sure they'd be just as grateful."

Edward's anxious demeanor slowly morphed into a grimace full of pain. He dropped his head and shoulders, shaking the former back and forth slowly, and snorted.

"From the moment I walked into your house the other day, I could tell that you knew, but I hoped…" He sighed heavily and lifted his head again, eyes full of a torment Bella couldn't understand. "I'm sorry, Bella, that you were ever informed of something which apparently makes you think that you owe me. I'd hoped that Emmett would've been more trustworthy than that."

Bella frowned. "Don't blame Emmett. Jessica was the first to tell me of your involvement, and well, I think by now you know me well enough to know that I couldn't rest after that until I got all the details from Emmett." She smiled sheepishly. "So I'll thank you again and again in the name of my family, for that compassion that induced you to go through so much trouble and deal with someone whom I know it must've been difficult for you to-"

"Stop," Edward pleaded. The frustration in his voice made Bella gasp. "I don't want your gratitude, Bella, but if you insist on giving it, let it be from you and you alone. I won't try to deny that making you happy was one of the main reasons why I did what I did, but your family doesn't owe me a thing. As much as I respect them, Bella, when I went looking for Mike and your cousin, I was only thinking of _you_."

Bella let her bag drop from her shoulder. She drew in a few uneven breaths, exhaling them through narrowed lips.

Edward then took a couple of steps closer, so close that Bella had to lift her head up to hold his gaze.

"But I don't want your gratitude, Bella, I've never wanted that from you."

"What do you want then, Edward?" Bella whispered shakily. "Be clear with me. What do you want?"

Spurred on by the impish sparkle in her eyes, by the heat emanating from her, Edward took another step closer so that Bella's sweet exhalations washed over him. He dared raise a hand and wrapped his fingers around a few strands of hair that had come loose from Bella's ponytail, making her shiver in surprise and yearn for more of his touch.

Edward quirked a brow. "You want me to be clear with you? I meant to be clear with you last week, in Ithaca, but then this whole disaster happened and…when I walked into your house the other day, I could tell you knew more than you should've. Bella, I didn't want your feelings towards me to be based on gratitude," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "If you were to ever develop any feelings towards me, if you were to ever feel even a fraction of the _love_ I feel for you," he blurted, making Bella feel as if the world were spinning before her, "I wanted it to be based on the man you were getting to know rather than on my simply having corrected the wrongs I did to you and your family in the past."

In that moment, there was so much Bella wanted to say, but she was absolutely, positively speechless, so she let him go on.

Edward grinned softly. He cupped her jaw, caressing her face gently with the pad of his thumb.

"My Aunt was correct about one thing. You, Bella Swan, have bewitched me body and soul, and I…" – he swallowed thickly – "I love you more than I could've _ever_ imagined loving someone in my life. You're too good to play games with me, Bella; of course I know that. So please, now it's your turn to be clear with me. If you can't ever see yourself feeling even the slightest fraction of what I've just expressed to you, if your feelings towards me haven't changed since the fall, please tell me right away. My feelings and wishes have only grown stronger, but just say the word, and I'll never bother you again."

He waited, his heart clenching painfully in his chest.

A languid, easy smile spread across Bella's face, making Edward draw in a few, unsteady breaths to calm himself. But encouraged by her teasing smile and by the fact that she hadn't once again turned him away, he closed every bit of space between them so that they stood chest to chest, so that she could feel how she made his heart race.

Bella felt it, and in turn it gave her the courage to find her words.

"Do you want me to be clear with you now?" she asked playfully.

Edward grinned and nodded, stroking her face with his fingers.

Bella reached up and getting on her tip toes, wound her arms around his neck, clasping her hands together at his nape, gently playing with the short hairs there. Edward quickly wrapped his arms around her small waist.

"You want to know if I could ever feel for you even a fraction of what you feel for me?"

"Yes, I would."

Bella could feel his body trembling against her own, just as much as hers was.

"Do you feel that?" Bella pressed her chest deeper into his. "That's because I'm _so_ in love with you that just being in your arms makes me shudder. I can't even think straight enough to say much more than that – and you know that I'm usually a very wordy chick."

Edward chuckled heartily, his green eyes sparkling with undisguised joy, and gazed at her in adoration for one long moment before dipping his mouth to hers. He kissed her hungrily, moaning into her mouth as he parted her lips with his tongue.

And there they stood, wrapped around each other while the cool, winter sun finally broke through the haze. But Bella and Edward were on fire, completely oblivious to the chill in the morning air, or to any of their surroundings. After a while, he dropped his hands to her bottom and lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his thighs.

"Moving fast here aren't we, Mr. Cullen?" she chuckled against his mouth.

Edward grinned, biting her bottom lip and making her squeal in delight. She reveled in the pure, unadulterated happiness emanating from him and could barely believe how it made him impossibly more beautiful than he already was.

"I don't want your legs to get tired," he murmured.

"Mmm, what a gentleman."

But then he swiped his tongue into her mouth again and silenced her teasing.

It wasn't until Bella heard a loud gasp coming from her house that she opened her eyes again. Mouth still moving with Edward's, she snuck a peek over his shoulder and found her family gathered around the door, staring at Edward and her and their early morning display. The gasp hadn't come from Emmett or Alice, because they were both laughing, or from her Dad, because though he was frowning, his mustache twitched with amusement. And Jessica and Lauren were giggling with each other. It had been Renee, who now had her mouth hanging wide open; her eyes bulged in complete shock.

"Damn it," Bella muttered quietly, pulling away and dropping her head. She tried to disentangle herself from Edward, but he wouldn't let go.

"Edward, my mom is watching us," she explained, struggling to loosen herself from his hold, "and if we keep putting on this show for her, by the end of the day she'll have everyone she knows believing we're engaged."

"Will she now?" Edward grinned impishly; a grin that Bella was beginning to love as much as she loved its owner.

And with that, Edward pulled Bella in impossibly closer, making her draw in a sharp breath of surprise. He splayed his large hands across her entire bottom and tightened his grip. And the way he crashed his mouth to Bella's and proceeded to kiss her managed to make even Renee blush.

It was a long while before either came up for air.

* * *

**A/N: **Sigh** Hot make-out session with _Darcyward_.**

**Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	33. A&A CH 33 (P&P Ch 58)

**So it's been way more than the three or so chapters I said were left already. I'm a horrible estimator. We're near the end, that's about all I can guarantee. I'll let you know when we're at the very last chapter. ;)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. The rest is the side of me that lives for romantic heroes. :) **

**A&A Ch. 33 (P&P Ch. 58)**

* * *

After spending the day with Emmett, Jasper and Alice, they all drove to Seattle together, where Edward dropped the three others off at the airport before driving Bella back to school. He'd take a cab to the airport after dropping her off.

The entire day, Edward had kept Bella's hand safely tucked within his own, even while driving, as if he were still a bit wary of letting her go. Bella held on to him tightly, giving him the reassurance they both still needed.

Light, cheerful conversation filled the car for the first half of the ride, both occupants flying high at the fact that they finally knew where they stood with each other, and that it was in such a great place. But Bella, ever curious, eventually brought the conversation around to those subjects that still puzzled her.

"So I suppose your Aunt paid you a visit in the early hours of the morning?"

Edward sneered in disgust. "Yes, with a seriously scandalous story to tell, full of intrigue, lust, deceit and a woman so hungry for money and power that she'd sunk her claws into me and refused to let go. It was quite the tale," he chuckled.

But Bella couldn't help the way her face flamed with embarrassment and turned her gaze to the passenger window so that Edward couldn't see her flushed cheeks.

"Hey," he said softly, reading her body language despite her attempt to avoid his gaze. He squeezed her hand within his own, lacing their fingers together tightly. The warmth it spread throughout Bella's body was amazing, and she soon turned her eyes back in his direction. He glanced over at her quickly, his emerald gaze alive and full of the type of bliss one only feels when deeply in love.

"I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how hateful my aunt must've been. She was way out of line, and trust me, I told her so, but you know I never believed any of what she said, not even for a second, don't you?"

Bella smiled tenderly, her eyes on his gorgeous profile: wild, bronze hair, a straight, perfect nose, full, soft lips and a stubbly jaw so square you could take a ruler to it.

"If anything," he continued, "my aunt's visit taught me to hope that perhaps you did feel something beyond simple gratitude towards me."

"Oh?" Bella grinned. "And why was that?" She could see the right side of his mouth crook up in a wry grin of its own.

"Well, because I knew you well enough to know that if you didn't have any feelings for me whatsoever, you would've had no problem letting my aunt know."

Bella blushed again at how well he did know her, but this time she laughed out loud.

"Yeah, you're right about that. After insulting you to your face so thoroughly a couple of months back, you knew I'd have no problem insulting you to your family."

"What did you say to me that day that I didn't deserve?" He was still grinning, but Bella could hear the tone of remorse in his voice. "Yes, the things you accused me of were based on mistakes and misunderstandings, but the way I acted with you…" – he shook his head, no longer grinning, but rather sneering at the windshield – "I deserved much worse than the things you said to me. It was unforgivable, and every time I think about it I feel completely disgusted at myself."

This time, it was Bella's turn to give Edward's hand a squeeze.

"Let's not argue about who shared the bigger slice of blame for the way things ended that day," she said softly. "If you look at it closely, we both acted like jerks, but I should hope we've improved since then."

Edward laughed again, though Bella could still sense the self-reproach he was inflicting upon himself.

"I can't forgive myself so easily, Bella. When I remember the things I said to you, the way I acted…" – he shook his head back and forth as if to dispel the memory – "I remember exactly what you said to me too: _"__had you behaved more like a man with true and sincere feelings instead of like an arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed, fool."_

"Please don't repeat those words," Bella pleaded, dropping her eyes to her lap.

Edward ran his thumb back and forth over the top of Bella's hand, caressing her tenderly.

"Why not? They were the truth. You have no idea how much those words have haunted me for the past couple of months – though to be honest it took some time before I was reasonable enough to acknowledge how true they were."

"I certainly didn't intend for them to make such a strong impression on you. I had no idea you'd feel them so deeply."

He snorted. "I'm sure you didn't. You thought me incapable of feeling real and true love towards you; I know you did. I'll never forget the look on your face when you told me that there were no pretty words I could've whispered to you that would've ever tempted you."

"Please, please, stop!" Bella begged. "You have no idea how ashamed I am of the things I said to you that day."

She hadn't realized that they'd arrived at her small apartment until Edward put the car on park. With a soft smile, he angled his body completely sideways and took her in his arms, holding her tightly against him and engulfing her with the love she could feel emanating from him. The darkness outside, as well as the light tint of the windows shielded them somewhat from curious eyes.

"Don't be ashamed, Baby," he murmured gently in her ear. "Yes, all those things were hard to hear, but they were also necessary. They made me realize my mistakes, and so I wrote you that letter, hoping I could do a better job through writing than I'd done through talking."

"You did," Bella admitted with a snort against his neck.

He pulled her away. "Did I?" he whispered, searching her eyes. "Did it make you think better of me? Did you believe what I wrote?"

She cupped his jaw, and he momentarily closed his eyes at her searing touch.

"It was a…difficult letter to read, because it not only opened up my eyes about the type of man _you_ really were, but also about the type of person _I'd_ really been as well. From the very beginning, _I'd_ been the arrogant, prejudiced one, all because of a few words I heard you say, which hadn't been meant for my ears anyway."

"You _did_ hear what I said at the Founder's Day Ball," Edward grimaced guiltily.

Bella smiled playfully. "Yes, I heard."

"You know I didn't mean that, don't you?"

She looked down again. "It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself on that point. If at the time, you didn't find me pretty, then that was certainly your prerogative. I'm sure that opinion has changed now anyway," she teased him.

She felt his thumb on her chin, and then slowly, he lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

"I always found you beautiful, Bella." His eyes shone with sincerity. "I was just…I'd gotten an email from Rosalie that day, and though she'd been getting better by then, she still had some difficult days and that happened to be one of them. She sounded so depressed in her email, and I was upset at myself for not being there for her and…" – he sighed – "I suppose it all just put me in a bad mood. I didn't want to go to the party that day because I knew I'd be bad company, but at the same time, Jasper was looking forward to it, and he's always been there for me, so I wanted to be there for him. I'd say it probably would've been better had I not gone, but then I may never have met you…"

"You should've put that in the letter, too," Bella teased him, seeing that he needed to be teased at the moment.

He chuckled. "I suppose I should've." With a sigh, he added, "I knew the things I wrote in that letter would upset you, but I had to tell you, though now I hope you've destroyed it."

"Why?" Bella asked, cocking her head sideways.

Edward smirked. "There are parts of that letter that I fear may make you hate me if you ever read it again."

"Like what?" she wondered.

"Like the beginning and some parts in the middle. And one or two sentences towards the end."

Bella laughed. "I assure you, there's absolutely nothing in that letter that could ever make me hate you. But if it makes you feel better, I'll destroy it. Though I will miss my very first love letter from you," she shrugged.

"Love letter?" He drew in closer to her, backing her up against the seat while his palms rested on either side of it, caging her in and holding her gaze intently. "That was hardly a love letter, Bella."

The velvet quality of his voice, the way he looked at her, gentle yet predatory all at once, made her heart do flips in her chest.

"_I_ thought it was a love letter," she managed to pout right before his soft lips found hers. He kissed her tenderly, alternating between sucking her pouting bottom lip then the top into his mouth. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, but his slid to the edge of her mouth, running small, open-mouthed kisses all along her jaw and then trailing down to her neck, and all the while she couldn't even close her mouth, her breaths escaping in ragged exhalations. His hands remained on either side of her, holding her prisoner while she arched and squirmed in her seat under him.

When his mouth reached her ear, he nibbled on her lobe, making her moan while her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"You like love letters, Bella?" he breathed, kissing the spot just behind her ear while Bella gripped tightly to the edges of the seat around her. "I'll write you a love letter every day. Every single day until I have you in New York with me."

"Oh? So when I'm in New York you'll have no need to write me love letters anymore?" Bella joked, trying to ground herself, but she was losing that battle quickly. Her breathing had become labored and erratic, her entire frame shaking from sensory overload; his words, his mouth on all the sensitive spots around her neck, his proximity, even the awareness of his hands so close yet not quite touching her were making her insane. She'd never in her life imagined feeling this way.

He stopped kissing her and locked his darkened eyes on hers once more. "When I have you in New York, I won't have to write you to tell you that I love you. I'll _show_ you how much I love you."

She may have whimpered; she wasn't really sure, and she didn't have time to figure it out before he captured her mouth with his, pushing her further into the seat; his lips, his tongue, the soft sounds he made deep in his throat drowned out everything else around them until nothing else existed in Bella's world.

He pulled away with a deep gasp, as if he'd just realized how deeply he was kissing her in a parked car, and then grinned at her sheepishly. She cupped his cheek again, so unbelievably full of bliss.

He covered her hand with his. Both Edward and Bella knew that there time together was quickly coming to a close.

"We've wasted so much time," Edward said suddenly, almost as if he could read her mind.

They had wasted time in the past few months, even in the past few weeks. Yet though the separation would be painful for both, they knew it would only be temporary. And though the words hadn't actually been spoken yet, both knew they were far beyond simple dating.

"We have," Bella agreed. "But let's not think about that anymore. Let's not think about the time we've wasted misunderstanding each other or the letter and the bitter feelings you think you may have expressed in it. The feelings of those two people who misunderstood each other are now so different from what they were then that it doesn't make sense to remember any of that. I have a philosophy I like to live by: Think of the past only as its remembrance gives you happiness."

Edward smiled and put his lips on hers quickly yet softly before pulling away to look at her again.

"You've always been such a good, kind and generous person, Bella, even despite all your teasing; that's one of the things I first loved about you. But it's not that easy for me to forget the past, and I don't think I should." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it tenderly. "I've been selfish my entire life, in my actions if not in my thoughts. When I was a kid, I was taught what it meant to do the right thing, but I wasn't taught how to actually act on that. I grew up only caring for myself and my close friends and family, thinking that we were better and that the rest of the world should be grateful if I ever gave them any of my attention." His forehead was suddenly marred with lines of pain. "This is the type of man I'd become, and this is the type of man I may have remained if it hadn't been for you, my beautiful, sweet Bella. You thanked me earlier, yet you have no idea how much I owe _you_. You taught me a lesson; a hard one to learn, yes, but an important one."

"What did I teach _you_?" Bella asked breathlessly, almost overcome with emotion.

Edward dropped his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. "You taught me to let go of my arrogance. When I came to you in Madrona, I had no doubt that you'd accept me, but you showed me how useless all my pretenses were when it came to impressing a woman worth impressing."

Bella smiled, the admittance of his conceit lightening the moment somewhat. "So you were that sure I'd simply say yes to you?"

Edward snorted, touching his nose to hers. "Yes, I was. All those times at Netherfield, those heated exchanges we shared - I thought you were _flirting_ with me. And when you stayed behind in Leah and Jake's house that day in Madrona, I thought it was because you were expecting me; _waiting_ for me to make a move."

Bella couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Edward chuckled along with her.

"I'm sorry if I led you on in any way," she said through her remaining snickers, "but I didn't do it on purpose, I swear. Sometimes I say and do things without realizing. God," she shook her head, "I can only imagine how much you must've hated me after that night."

He pulled away from her then, cradling her face in his hands. "You didn't lead me on; I simply saw what I wanted to see. And as for hating you, I could never hate you, Bella. Yes, I'll admit I was…angry at first, but that anger was soon directed at myself for the epic way I'd screwed everything up."

He kissed her yet again, another soft, sweet and light kiss. She looked up at him through her lashes, taking his hands in hers and resting them between them.

"I'm almost scared to ask what you were thinking when you first saw me at your Vineyard. Were you upset?"

"Of course not. I was surprised."

"You couldn't have been more surprised than I was, especially when you were so gracious towards me. My conscience told me that I didn't deserve your attentiveness, and I've got to admit that I was shocked by how friendly you were."

Edward dropped his hands to Bella's waist and then pulled her with him as he moved back to his driver's seat, leaning back into it so that Bella now hovered over him, her palms against his chest as she tried to hold herself up. When Edward pulled her hands away, her chest fell quickly over his, making her gasp.

He smirked at the expression on her face and laced their hands together at their sides.

"We've been apart for way too long. I need you as close to me as possible."

Bella could do nothing more than nod.

"When I first saw you at Pemberley, my initial intention was to show you in every way possible that I wanted more than anything to put those last few weeks behind us. I wanted you to forgive me, to change your bad opinion of me by showing you that I'd tried to correct those flaws in my character that you'd pointed out."

"Is that all you wanted to do?" Bella asked with an impish grin.

Edward reached up and pulled a few strands of her hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear and then letting his fingers linger back there, ghosting them around the soft skin under her earlobe.

"That was my _initial_ intention," he repeated, watching the movement of his fingers. But then his eyes moved to her mouth. "How soon other intentions may have made their way to the forefront I can't be sure, but I believe it was within five minutes of seeing you."

She chuckled yet again. She'd never imagined Edward would have the power to make her laugh so much; to make her heart soar so high. This time, it was she that dropped her mouth to his, tasting his sweet lips thoroughly before parting them with her tongue. In the tight, semi-private confines of the car, it was hard to get as close to one another as both may have liked, but Bella could feel Edward's strength and passion, and it was a glorious feeling. She gripped and held on to his hair while they kissed, and he held her close to him with his arms wrapped around her waist. Both were panting heavily when they broke apart.

"I have to go," she said sadly.

"I know," he answered just as forlornly. "When can I see you again, Bella? The holidays are over, and it'll be hard for me to get away now, but I can manage a couple of long weekends, and please, please, please don't protest if I offer to bring you down to New York for long weekends whenever you can get away."

She smiled sheepishly and gave him an embarrassed kiss, but then she realized that she simply couldn't feel guilty about accepting his generosity; not when she loved him so much and knew he loved her back just as wildly.

"I won't protest. Whenever either one of us has the time, I want to see you. Either you come over here, or I'll go over there, whichever way works out better at the time."

His ensuing grin lit up his entire face. "Rosalie is going to be thrilled when I tell her about us, and when I tell her you'll be coming down for a visit as soon as you can."

Bella's happiness increased all the more at the thought of the sweet girl, who'd become so dear to her in such a short time. They'd definitely be great friends now, and perhaps someday…her stomach did a hopeful somersault though she didn't dare allow herself to finish that thought completely.

"As a matter of fact," Edward continued, "she's instructed me not to bother coming home unless I've got good news to report."

"Has she?" Bella chortled. "Did she know why you came to Seattle in the first place?" Bella asked, much more solemnly.

Edward nodded. "I'm not sure what it is that you said to her in the short time you spent together, but when I told her what had happened with Mike and Jessica, I was afraid of how she'd react." Bella held her breath waiting. "But she was fine, Bella. I'd decided to come looking for Mike and Jess even before I left you in that hotel room, and when I spoke to Rose about it, she was much stronger than I'd expected her to be. She told me that it was definitely the right thing to do, and that if we needed her to, she'd go public with what he'd done to her as well. The foundation we established was actually her idea, set up from both of our funds. I think it's…healing for her."

Bella felt tears sting her eyes at the bravery and heart on Edward's younger sister, and couldn't help hoping that someday, maybe someday, Jess and Lauren would show a fraction of that heart. She could barely utter a few words to Edward, asking him to please express her thanks to Rose, but then had to abandon the subject because it was still too fresh and raw in her heart to dwell on.

She sighed, trying to recall the elation she'd felt up until a few seconds ago, and when she brought her eyes to Edward once more, it wasn't hard to do.

Nevertheless, she really did have to go, and Edward had a flight to catch. She reminded him of these facts.

"Alright, alright," he sighed, and when she raised herself off of him, he let her go begrudgingly. He told her to hold on, and she waited while he stepped out of the car and moved to her side, opening her door for her like a perfect gentleman, something she'd never experienced before. But just as with everything she'd found out about who the real Edward Cullen was, she loved it.

He took her bag and walked her to her door, and there they hugged and kissed one more time. But this time, when Edward pulled away from her, he seemed nervous and anxious again, and Bella could only assume it was because of their impending separation.

"What is it?" she asked him, never again wanting to simply assume when it came to their relationship.

Edward drew in a few shaky breaths, glaring at the ground between them, but when he met her eyes, they were bright and sparkling, and full of hope.

"I love you," he said simply.

She smiled tenderly and cupped his cheek. "I love you too, Edward."

"There's one last thing I'd like to clear up."

"Okay," she said slowly.

"What I said, or should I say what I _implied_ early today, when I kissed you in front of your house despite what you said your mother would do, I meant that completely."

Bella frowned. It had been a wonderful day, but it had also been a long one for her. She hadn't really slept at all in almost twenty four hours, since Senator De Volturi's visit. Usually sharp and quick, her tired brain was working slower than usual.

Edward sighed, smirking teasingly. "Bella Swan, when you're done with school here, when you come live in New York, I don't want you to live with Alice and Emmett."

Something was tickling at the edges of her mind, a slow understanding of his words, but Edward continued without giving her the extra time she may have needed to figure out his meaning on her own.

He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in closer.

"When you come live in New York next summer, I want you to come there as my wife."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**So yeah, in modernizing P&P, I've kept some things similar, changed some things. Hope you guys are enjoying. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	34. A&A Chapter 34 (P&P Ch 59)

**Okay, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be 3 more chapters, including this one, for this story, and then an epilogue. So we're talking four more updates in all, including this one. Therefore, I estimate we'll be done by next week. :)**

**A&A Ch. 34 (P&P Ch. 59)**

* * *

A soft vibration roused Bella from her slumber. She opened her eyes tiredly and looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand, seeing that it was indeed time for her to wake up. She'd slept like a rock, barely even remembering having gone to bed the night before.

Before the fog of sleep could completely lift itself from her hazy mind, she heard the soft vibrations again and realized that it was her cell phone, which kept vibrating from the very edge of her nightstand. Still drowsy from sleep, she answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Beautiful. Am I waking you? This is the time you asked me to call."

Bella sat straight up. With that voice, with those few words, everything rushed back, and her heart rate spiked from barely awake to maximum overdrive.

Edward.

"_Edward_."

Edward chuckled. "Yes, it's me. How was your night?"

How had her night been? Apparently, she'd slept like the dead – most likely due to how exhausted she'd been from her lack of sleep the previous evening. And though she was fully awake now, she was still having a hard time placing the images currently running rampant through her head into the proper perspective and splitting them up between what had been reality and what was in most likelihood just dreams.

"You came to my house in the early hours of the morning yesterday," she whispered aloud, almost to herself as a way to organize her thoughts.

"Yes," Edward said with a smile in his voice. "I did."

"And then we kissed – a lot."

Edward chuckled heartily. "Yes, we did."

"Then we hung out with my sister and the guys."

"Yes," Edward confirmed.

Bella slowly lay back down, relaxing into her warm comforter and comfy pillow, closing her eyes.

"Then you brought me back to school, and we sat in the car and kissed some more."

She could hear Edward laughing at her quietly, but she didn't care.

"Yes, my Love, we kissed some more - though not enough for my liking, that's for sure."

She smiled, but the smile soon faded. Her sleepy eyes widened in complete and total bewilderment and disbelief. She sat up straight once more.

"What else do you remember?" Edward breathed.

"I…I…Edward, I must've been dreaming. It had to be a dream…"

"What had to be a dream?" he urged gently. "Tell me, Love."

"I can't tell you. I can't. Because if it was just a dream…if it didn't really happen…"

"Is that your way of trying to get out of it?" Edward asked, but Bella could hear the teasing tone of his smooth voice. "By pretending that you think it was just a dream, and it didn't actually happen? Well, I'm afraid it's not going to work. You agreed to marry me as soon as you graduate, and I'm not letting you get out of it by pretending it was all just a nightmare of yours."

"A _nightmare_?" she screeched. "Edward…Edward you asked me to marry you! You asked me to be your _wife_!"

"Yes, I did. And you agreed."

Bella could hear the slightly shaky quality of his voice. "I agreed," she breathed. "I said yes."

"Do you regret it in the light of day?"

"No," she answered quickly, honestly. "No, not at all. I love you, Edward."

"I love you too, Bella," he said, his voice strong and sure.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward and Bella spent the next half hour on the phone, talking about anything and everything the way new lovers tend to do – especially those with far distances between them.

When they were done, Bella got ready for her morning run, and then went to her classes. She'd texted back and forth with Alice during the day, basic things like "how's your day?" and "hope you're adjusting after the holidays." Throughout the day, she also sent and received texts from her new fiancée, but these were very different from those she shared with her sister.

'**I miss you like hell.'**

'**So do I. I can still feel your warm mouth on mine. And your tongue tasting mine…'**

'**Bella, you can't just say things like that to me without warning. I have patients - one who's about to run out of this office because of how loudly I just groaned.'**

'**LOL. I'm sorry, Edward. Go take care of your patients. I've got another class to get to anyway. We'll speak later.'**

'**Love you, future wifey.'**

'**Love you back.'**

A huge grin broke out across her face. Edward had referred to their engagement in one way or another in about eighty percent of the texts he'd sent her so far today. Yes, their official relationship was extremely new, but by this point, Bella and Edward had been unofficially testing each other out for half a year now, with heated banter and unresolved tension and…

Well, Bella felt completely confident in her decision to marry Edward. She loved him, and she knew that no one would ever be able to get a rise out of her – in every possible way – the way he could.

The next few months' separation was going to be extremely hard.

In addition, the situation of her family still made her uncomfortable. She couldn't even imagine how the news of her impending nuptials would be received in Forks. Bella had said not a word to her mother before leaving and only a quick goodbye to her father, unable and unwilling to deal with the shock and confusion on their faces from the very graphic public display of affection they'd all witnessed between she and Edward. She was all too aware that no one in her family, save Alice and Emmett, liked Edward, and though in her heart it made no difference, in her head, she still feared that it was a dislike that all of Edward's fortune wouldn't be able to erase.

So when the day was over, before calling Edward again, she called her sister, unable to keep her happy news to herself any longer.

"You're kidding me, right? I'm being punked here. Engaged to Edward! Nope, I don't believe it."

Bella was surprised – and frankly a bit upset – by Alice's reaction.

"Well, this conversation isn't going the way I'd hoped. If no one else, I was hoping for at least your congratulations. And if you don't even _believe_ me, I don't know what I'll have to do to convince anyone else. Edward loves me. I love him. We're engaged."

Alice was silent for a few seconds. "Bella, you're serious. It's not a joke. Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I thought you were…but I don't understand. I mean, obviously yes, there's something between you two; I saw it yesterday. But engaged? You barely even know him, and up until a couple of months ago, you _hated_ him!"

"I did not _hate_ him," Bella said sharply. "And that's all in the past anyway. Maybe I didn't love him as much as I do now, but even then, I felt something for him. I was just too stubborn to admit it to myself."

Alice was once again stunned into silence.

"Say something, Alice."

"I…Bella, of course I believe you. And I'm so sorry," Alice said, sounding truly contrite. "Of course I congratulate you, I'm just shocked! But...look, please don't take this the wrong way. Are you sure? Marriage is such a huge step!"

"Alice, I couldn't be more sure if I'd known him for ten years, so if the amount of time we've known each other is your only concern, then please don't be worried. I was hoping you'd be happy for me."

"Oh Bella!" Alice squealed, sounding much more joyous now. "I'm so very happy for you! And I know Jasper will be too. We actually spoke quite a bit about you two yesterday, and we talked about the possibility, but we never thought it would happen so soon. You beat us! But are you positively sure you love him enough?"

"Oh yeah! You'll actually think I should love him even more when I tell you everything. You may even fall in love with him a bit yourself, so brace yourself."

Alice laughed. "Bella, stop joking and tell me what in the world you're talking about! And when exactly did you fall in love with Edward?"

"It's been happening so gradually that I hadn't even noticed. But I can probably date it back to when I first saw his beautiful Vineyard, Pemberley," Bella mused dramatically.

By this time, Alice was rolling with laughter. "Bella, be serious, please!"

And after a few seconds of raucous giggles from both ends of the call, Bella and Alice finally calmed down. Then Bella spoke so solemnly and seriously to Alice about love and about how deep her feelings for Edward were that there was no longer any doubt in Alice's mind.

"Oh Bella, you don't understand how happy I am," Alice assured her. "I always knew that no simple, ordinary man would ever be a right fit for you. You've always needed someone who could challenge your mind as well as your heart, and I'm so glad you found him in Edward. I've always liked him, and if it were just that he loved you, that would've been enough to make me like him even more. But now that I know that he's going to be your husband, well there will be no one in the world other than you and Jasper that I can appreciate more."

Bella felt a satisfying warmth at her sister's sweet words.

"But you've been holding back on me, Bella," Alice said much more wryly. "I've got a feeling that a lot more went on in Madrona and Ithaca than you let on! What little I do know of what went on at Pemberley actually came from Jasper and Emmett instead of from you."

Bella apologized for not having told Alice about how much time she and Edward spent together at Pemberley, and about how close they'd gotten in those short couple of days, but then she explained that she'd been uncomfortable to mention Jasper to her after the way things had ended between the two. What's more, after what happened with Jessica and the circumstances that brought them all back to Forks, her time in Ithaca had been a difficult subject to discuss.

But now, she told Alice everything – including all that her wonderful fiancée had done for Jessica.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Three Months Later:**

"Oh great!" Renee moaned as she stood by the window. "Look who's come with Jasper; that arrogant, cheeky Dr. Cullen! Humph! Haven't heard much about him since New Year's. Suppose he got what he wanted and went on his merry way," she sneered in Bella's direction.

Bella, who'd been in the middle of a half-decent conversation with a very pregnant Jessica, ignored her mother's jab.

It was the Easter holiday, and her first time back in Forks since New Year's. She'd really only come up out of a sense of duty to her father if to no one else, having been engaged for three months now. The wedding would take place in three more months, and Edward had insisted that it was time he was allowed to officially ask her father for Bella's hand - at least before the Swan Residence actually received the wedding invitation. And though Bella found the entire asking-for-her-hand thing to be just a tad bit old-school, she appreciated how much it meant to her future husband.

As for her mother, Bella would deal with her in her own way.

"Now why in the world would he be coming here?" Renee muttered to herself. "Must we expect him _every time_ that Jasper is in town? Bella, when they come in, take him for a walk or something, behind some bushes; whatever. Just get him out of Alice and Jasper's way."

Bella bit her tongue to keep from saying anything and reminded herself that she wouldn't have to put up with this much longer.

As soon as they entered, Jasper wrapped Bella up in a tight, brotherly hug and whispered in her ear:

"Alice showed me the wedding invitations that she helped you and Edward pick out. They're really beautiful. Maybe…maybe this summer, if your sister says yes to me, it'll be your turn to help us pick out something nice."

Bella grinned from ear to ear. "As soon as you ask, she'll say yes, and then I'd be honored to help with anything," she whispered back.

Jasper hugged her tighter and said really close to Bella's ear, "I know I already told you this last month when you were in New York over Valentine's weekend, but I couldn't be happier for the both of you."

Bella squeezed his hand in thanks.

When they pulled away, Edward was watching them through narrowed eyes. Bella gave him a look that let him know she was laughing at him.

Edward greeted the entire family with total and complete politeness, but without a hint of anything that would indicate that he was soon to be family. This had been Bella's request. If he wanted to formally ask her father for her hand, that was fine, but Bella had insisted on being allowed to speak to her mother privately about it. She had no idea how her mother would react to her news and could see it going one of two ways:

Yelling and screaming and proclaiming her never-ending opposition to the marriage due to how hateful and arrogant Edward was.

Or yelling and screaming and proclaiming her never-ending approval to the marriage due to how rich and powerful Edward was.

Either would be an embarrassment of epic proportions, and she could no more stomach the idea of Edward being witness to her mother's loud wails of protest than she could stomach his witnessing her loud wails of joy.

That evening after dinner, when Charlie walked out to his small back yard to escape the noise and commotion in his house for a few minutes, Edward followed him.

Bella's stomach was full of nervous butterflies. She knew her father wouldn't say no, and even if he happened to do so, this was the second millennium not the eighteen hundreds; they'd get married anyway. But she knew this would be a surprise to her father.

Bella had been down to visit Edward in New York a couple of times since Christmas, and he in turn had been up to Seattle to visit her on a couple of occasions, but she hadn't breathed a word of it to her family, save Alice and Emmett, of course. And though she and her father had been pretty close, she hadn't told him either.

Now she felt somewhat bad about it and sincerely hoped he didn't take out her possible mistake on her future husband.

So Bella sat in quiet misery, listening to her mother blabber on and on while Edward and her father spoke outside. She was grateful that at least Renee hadn't seemed to notice Edward following Charlie outdoors.

About a half hour later, Edward finally walked back in. With a blank and serene expression, he walked over to where Alice, Jasper, and Bella sat pretending to watch TV, and in a quiet voice said to Bella,

"Your father wants to speak to you outside."

Bella nodded slightly, and then stood up and walked out.

Charlie was pacing back and forth between the bushes outside. When he heard Bella, he looked up, his face serious and confused.

"Bella, what are you doing? I mean, yeah, I saw that kiss a few months ago. It was…quite a kiss, but marriage? You could barely stomach him less than a year ago!"

How Bella wished she'd kept her thoughts on Edward to herself all those months back! It would've spared her from awkward explanations to those few people about whom she actually cared!

"Dad," she said calmly, "I never truly hated him, but now I truly do love him."

"Or in other words, you're determined to have him. What is this? Out of spite to your mom? I mean, I understand wanting to shove this in her face, believe me I do, but think of the long-term effects of this! You'll actually be married to him! Yeah, I know he's rich and handsome. You'll have anything you can buy, even more money than Alice will have if she marries Jasper. But will that make you happy?"

Bella bristled at her father's words, but vowed to remain as unaffected as possible. "Do you have any other objections besides your belief that I'm marrying him out of spite or for money?"

Charlie smiled tenderly at his favorite daughter. "Bella, that's not what I really believe. You know that. I just had to make sure. The last time I actually heard you speak of Edward it was to say how arrogant and annoying he was. Then the next thing I know, you're locked in a seriously steamy kiss with him in front of my own house. Then I hear nothing for a few months. And now, you're engaged! But this all would mean nothing as long as you really loved him."

"I do! I do really love him," Bella insisted, tears stinging her eyes. "He's not arrogant. He's not annoying. You don't know him the way I know him now, so please don't hurt me by speaking of him that way."

Charlie's eyes widened, realizing that perhaps, this was real. This was really happening. His baby girl was in true and deep love.

"Bells," Charlie said softly, using a tone he hadn't used with her since she was a little girl, "I told him he had my consent. He's not the type of man you turn down, that much is plain to see. And you have my consent as well, if you truly want it. Let me just say one more thing; you've seen firsthand the condition of your mother's and my marriage. It's far from…ideal. And I know you, Bella. You could never just make the best of a bad situation and deal with it. That sort of mistake would drain your beautiful spirit. You need someone who can be your equal in all things; someone you could truly respect with your mind, as well as your heart."

Bella began to understand where her father was coming from, and comprehending his true concern, she was better equipped to give him the reassurances he needed; the ones he deserved.

"I do respect him, Dad. I respect him more than any man I know. I know this seems sudden, and in a way I suppose it was, but Edward and I have been getting to know each other for almost a year now, and while at first I thought I didn't like what I saw in him, I came to realize that I was simply being prideful and prejudiced because of a few stupid words he uttered while in a bad mood. And when I realized my mistake, I saw that Edward is everything I could ever want: honest, kind, thoughtful, helpful, loving…everything. Why should I wait, Dad, when I've found everything I never knew I wanted and needed?"

For a long moment, Charlie was left speechless by Bella's heartfelt words.

"Well," he finally said, his voice shaky, "I have nothing else to say then. If he's really all those things you say, then he may actually deserve you. I couldn't have let you go for anything less, Bella."

And though her father had never been much of the affectionate type, he took two steps to her and wrapped her in his arms.

After a minute, Bella pulled away and looked at her father.

"Dad…there's one more thing I think you should know. Edward is the one who found Jess and Mike in Seattle. He convinced her to press charges, and he's the one who funds the foundation that will be supporting Jessica and her baby."

Once again, Charlie was speechless. Once he was finally able to pick his jaw off the floor, he said,

"This is a night full of surprises, isn't it? And so Edward did everything, did he? He found Mike, got Jess to press charges, and provided money. Well," he snorted, "so much the better. I've felt indebted to your cousin Emmett for months, and now I don't have to be. It'll be a lot easier with Edward. Had it been Emmett, I would've had to thank him profusely for doing my job for the rest of my life, but true love is a crazy thing. I'll give my heartfelt thanks to Edward, he'll be all embarrassed about it and tell me he did it all for you and ask me never to mention it again, and that'll be the end of that."

Bella shook her head at her father, pretending to glare at him disapprovingly, but he simply chuckled.

"Now get back to your fiancée. Your mother is probably in there trying to scare him away with an evil eye."

Bella turned around.

"Oh, and if any half-decent sort of men come looking for Jessica or Lauren, let'em right in because this approving boyfriends business is kind of fun!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Bella's mind was more at ease once she returned to the living room where everyone else was. Her eyes immediately found Edward, and she gave him a wink, which he returned in kind. After that, they all watched TV and talked quietly among one another, and Bella and Edward only stole occasional glances at each other until it was time for Jasper and Edward to leave.

Alice and Jasper stood a few feet from the door saying their goodbyes for the evening, wrapped around each other and kissing and whispering quietly the way confirmed lovers tend to do, while Edward waited awkwardly, holding the door half-open.

But Bella had had enough of this situation.

With a deep breath, because she knew the crazy she was going to rain down on them now, she walked over confidently to Edward and as he watched her with bemused eyes, she got on her tip toes, drew her arms around his neck, and proceeded to kiss him soundly and loudly. Edward chuckled against her lips, his arms tight around her waist.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and help you with the impending explosion?"

Bella shook her head, lips still locked on Edward's. "I can handle my mother. You go on. I'll see you in the morning when you come pick me up to head back to Seattle."

Edward grinned and begrudgingly pulled away from Bella's mouth. Then he called out from over her head,

"Alice, Lauren, Jessica, Chief and Mrs. Swan, it's been a pleasure, as always."

As soon as the door closed, Bella turned around.

"What in the hell was that?" Renee smirked. "Bella, if you're now letting Edward kiss you whenever he very well feels like it, I hope you're at least smart enough to get something in return."

"Oh, I'm getting plenty in return, Mom," she assured her mother.

"Mhm. And I suppose he gets whatever he wants from you."

"Yes, he does. I gave him everything a couple of months ago when he came up to Seattle to see me, and I gave it to him again last month when I went down to New York to see him, and I'll give it to him again tomorrow when he drops me off in school before he returns to New York, and next month, and the month after that, but come summer when we're married, he'll get it even more."

Renee's mouth dropped to the floor. She stared at Bella, wonderfully speechless for a few long moments.

"He's not going to marry you," she sneered. "You're stupid if you believe that."

Bella held out her left hand, the one with the family heirloom Edward had given her on his first trip back to Seattle to see her; the engagement ring that had once belonged to his grandmother now belonged to Bella. She'd kept it in her pocket when first arriving to Forks a couple of days ago, but now it was time to show it off.

Collective gasps resounded in the air because it was a beautiful, glittering diamond that sparkled magnificently even from across the room.

"Hello! That is some kind of rock!" Jessica exclaimed.

"OMG, I feel like I'll go blind if I look at it directly!" Lauren joked.

"Well," was all Charlie managed, his mustache twitching in amusement.

Alice smiled happily for her sister, already having seen the ring many times.

And once again, Renee's mouth was on the floor.

"I believe it because he loves me, and I love him. And I believe it because I have his ring on my finger. And I believe it because the invitations went out yesterday."

"And _I_ believe it because he just asked me for Bella's hand," Charlie confirmed.

Renee took it all in silently, her jaw still wide open, eyes blinking stupidly over and over. Finally, she closed her mouth only to open it right away, yet nothing came out. She tried a few more times before she was finally able to form words.

"You're marrying Edward Cullen?" she asked. "You're marrying Edward Cullen?" she repeated, her voice a bit more shrill. "_You_ are marrying _Edward Cullen_?" she shrieked. "Oh my God, you're marrying Edward Cullen!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "Yes! Yes! _Doctor_ Edward Cullen, nephew of _Senator_ Jane De Volturi, _CEO_ and _owner_ of Pemberley Vineyards and utterly and completely _filthy rich_! Yes! Pemberley Vineyards, here come the Swans! Oh my, Bella, you're going to be so rich and important! Cars, jewels, trips, everything! Jasper's money is nothing compared to Edward's! And he's _old_ money too; so tall and good-looking to boot! I've got to apologize to him for not having liked him before, but first," – she reached quickly for her cell phone – "I've got to tell Sue Clearwater so that she can turn positively green with envy! God, I'm so happy!" she giggled – right before having her cell phone snatched out of her hand.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"What…what do you mean, 'no'?" Renee stuttered.

Bella hit 'end' on the cell phone and dropped it over the table.

"I mean this isn't the way this is going to work. Not anymore."

Renee glared at her in total bewilderment.

"All our lives, Mom, you've run your mouth all over town, telling everyone our business, minding everyone else's, and embarrassing our family in the process."

"Well!" Renee cried indignantly.

"This ends now; tonight!" Bella continued, her voice shaking with conviction. "My fiancée is a very private man, and he doesn't and won't appreciate his concerns being broadcast all over town. So if you want to be a part of our lives, Mom, if you ever want to see Pemberley, if you want to be a part of Edward's family, if you want ever want to be a part of your future grandchildren's lives," she said carefully, "then from now on, Mom, you'll think before you speak. If you're not sure of what you're saying, then you'll err on the side of caution and not say anything at all. Otherwise, I can guarantee you that you'll never step foot in Pemberley; you'll never be a part of that grand world of money and power that you so crave – at least not where it concerns Edward or myself."

"But…but Bella," Renee pleaded, "I _have_ to tell someone!"

"No, Mom," Bella repeated. "The invitations are out. Whoever needs to know will know soon enough. You don't need to help the news along, not if you want to stay in Edward's good graces. Do you understand?"

Renee looked about ready to cry.

"Do you understand, Mom?" Bella inquired.

Renee huffed indignantly, glowering at her daughter, who'd never been her favorite, but well, she was going to be filthy rich now, and that counted for…well, for a lot actually.

"Fine, fine, fine!" she grumbled. "I understand! Can you at least tell me what Edward's favorite dish is so that I can make it for him for lunch tomorrow?"

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page. **


	35. A&A Ch 35 (P&P Ch 60)

**A/N: Thanks once again, guys, for continuing to read and review this little story. I haven't had a chance to get back to many reviews, but I'm working on a few other projects, and there just aren't enough hours. But I LOVE and READ and APPRECIATE all of them, and do try to get back to ya'll when possible. :)**

**We're almost done. One more chappy and an epi after this...**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. The rest is all me. :)**

**A&A Ch. 35 (P&P Ch. 60)**

* * *

The next morning, before the guys' arrival, Renee was a bundle of nervous energy. She awoke early in the morning, cooking and cleaning more in three hours than she'd done in the past three decades of her life. To Bella, all this commotion was a frightening omen to what awaited them once Edward arrived for lunch.

But Bella was happily surprised. Once Edward walked through that door, Renee's entire demeanor shifted from a blabbering, agitated nitwit to a reverently intimidated mute. Even to someone as foolish as she, it was plain to see that unlike his friend, Jasper, Edward would not be an easy-going, push-over who would sit back and grin while Renee rambled and ran dizzying circles around him. In fact, her awe for her future son-in-law was so great that as much as Renee was able to choke out was a welcome to her humble home, a bright smile, and congratulations on his upcoming nuptials to the daughter she swore had always been her favorite.

Edward received Renee's kind yet subdued words with the utmost grace - and internal gratitude for their brevity.

As for Charlie, he smirked as he watched his wife cutting Edward's steak for him, and moved in to whisper in Bella's ear,

"I'm so glad your mother is finally learning to value those who deserve to be valued. As for me, I personally appreciate every single one of the men who've touched my girls' lives this past year. Mike, of course, is my very favorite, but Edward and Jasper are close seconds."

Bella simply rolled her eyes at her father's continued teasing. No, her family would never change much. But when she looked at Edward, he winked at her, jerking his chin playfully at Renee, who continued slicing his steak with the utmost care. Bella held in a chuckle.

OOOOOOOOOO

Late that afternoon, Bella and Edward were finally alone.

Bella, Alice, Jasper and Edward had driven back to Seattle, where Alice and Jasper had gone on to the airport, while Edward had opted for a later flight so that he could spend some time with Bella in her small Seattle apartment.

Now, Edward and Bella lay on her small bed, kissing and touching languidly, thoroughly sated after the activities of the last hour. A couple of months ago, they had both agreed to save the main prize for their wedding night, but that didn't mean that they couldn't thoroughly enjoy one another in every other possible way between now and then.

Bella rested her head over Edward's chest, enjoying the quick beat of his heart eventually slowing to its normal rhythm. She was in a wonderful mood, created by Edward's presence, the relief of finally having told her family of her engagement, and the fact that said family hadn't embarrassed her too badly today.

"Why did you fall in love with me?" she asked, tracing her fingers over the plains and valleys on Edward's abs, playing with the wispy, blond hairs just under his belly button, making him groan deep within his chest. "I mean, I can understand you falling in deeper and deeper once you were there," she teased, "but how did you fall in love with me in the first place, and when?"

Edward smirked, kissing the top of her head, ghosting his hand up and down her soft, bare thigh.

"I can't determine the exact hour, or spot, or look, or the words you may have spoken to start it all. It was too long ago now, and besides, I was in the middle of loving you before I even knew I'd fallen."

Bella smiled, placing a soft kiss on his smooth chest. "You were immune to my beauty at first, I remember that," she joked. "As for my own behavior towards you, it was always bordering on insulting, and I rarely said anything to you without wanting to give you a rise."

"Oh, you gave me a rise, alright," he teased back. "Quite a few actually."

She laughed and bit his chest.

"Ow!"

"I'm serious. Tell me the truth. Did you like me for my cheek?"

"I liked you for both your cheeks," he chuckled.

"I'll bite you again, I swear!" she threatened, making him laugh harder. "Did you like the way I gave you lip?"

"I _love_ the way you give me-"

"Edward." She opened her mouth threateningly right over his left nipple.

"Alright, alright!" he chortled. "Yes, I liked your smart-mouth. I mean, I liked the way you were always trying to stay one step ahead of me."

"You can go ahead and call it a smart-mouth," Bella chuckled. "That's exactly what it was, and I know precisely why you enjoyed it. You were tired of all the pompous respect, of all the submission and compliance and sickening attention. _'Oh, Edward, I love your library, Oh, Edward, Pemberley is so gorgeous, Oh, Edward, you type so quickly, Ooh, Edward, let me service that for you.'_" Bella mimicked the constant words of praise from Tanya to Edward that she'd been privy to during her stay at Netherfield. "Yeah, I can imagine _all_ of the ways she wanted to service you," she sneered.

Edward broke out into raucous fits of laughter, wrapping his arms tightly around Bella.

"I don't remember her ever offering to service me."

"I may have paraphrased a bit, but the intent was clearly there. Anyway, you'd had enough of women who were always saying things and doing things and thinking things just to get your attention, and here I come along. I caught your attention because I was the total opposite. Had you not really been a great guy deep inside, you probably would've hated me for the way I acted towards you."

Edward listened to his fiancée's speech with loving amusement, stroking her soft curves, kissing her hair, over and over.

"Yet despite all the effort you went through to hide the great guy deep inside, you were always so gracious and fair with me because in your heart, you thoroughly disliked those who so eagerly flattered you. There, I've saved you the trouble of accounting for why you fell in love with me, and really, all things considered, it makes perfect sense. I mean, you really didn't know much about me, about the type of person I really was at the time, but who ever thinks of any of that when falling in love?"

Edward snorted, shaking his head. He snaked his hands under Bella's arms and lifted her up, turning her around so that she hovered right above him.

"I did know about the type of person you were. What do you think it said of you that you stayed in a house full of women who kept taunting you for days and days simply to take care of your sick sister, while never once losing your patience?"

Bella shrugged. "It was no big deal." Her eyes widened playfully. "But by all means, treat it as a wonderful quality of mine. Turn everything I say and do into proof of my wonderful personality, and in return, I'll keep teasing and taunting you to keep you on your toes. So here we go." She sat up over him, enjoying the feel of his body under hers as much as she knew he enjoyed feeling her over him. "I've been wondering something else for the past few months." Edward quirked an eyebrow playfully, reaching up and grabbing her hips, trying to sway her back and forth, but she remained steadfast. He smirked and let her continue. "When you came back to Forks before New Years, why did it take you so long to speak to me? Why didn't you immediately tell me what you were thinking?"

"Why didn't you?" he countered. "You were all quiet, never meeting my gaze. You gave me no encouragement."

"Because I was embarrassed and mortified."

"So was I."

"You could've tried to hold a serious conversation with me after New Year's dinner."

"A man who felt less than I did may have been able to."

Bella sucked her teeth, bouncing in frustration, but as she was on top of Edward, it just made him grin lustily at her.

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you here!"

"Then I'd suggest not bouncing over that," he said, jerking his chin down while half of his mouth quirked upwards.

Bella released a huff of feigned annoyance, but she couldn't fully repress a grin. "Fine! And I suppose I can accept that previous answer, but I can't help wondering how long that misunderstanding would've continued if you'd been left to your own devices. When would you have finally spoken up if I hadn't spoken up first, if I hadn't thanked you for helping out Jess? I mean, what's the moral of our story if our happily ever after arises from broken promises?" Edward frowned, not entirely following her logic.

Bella once again lowered her body over his, resting every part of herself over every part of him. She tried to control the way her breathing quickly sped up, the way her heart-rate spiked because she really did want to get to the bottom of this, but it was becoming more and more difficult to think.

"What I mean is," she said, gazing into his patient green eyes and trying to maintain her train of thought, "you asked Emmett not to tell me what happened, and Emmett asked me not to tell you that he was the one who told me. So we owe our current state of bliss to the fact that no one can keep a promise."

Edward smiled indulgently. Gripping her gently yet firmly, he turned them over so that now Bella was under him. He traced her soft lips with one finger, delaying his need to taste them so that he could put her constantly working mind at ease.

"You don't have to get yourself so worked up, Love, at least not over _that_. Our happily ever after will have a great moral: the triumph of good over evil. You see, my Aunt Jane's efforts to separate us were the actual catalyst to our impending union. We don't owe our present happiness to your inability to keep a secret, because I wasn't about to wait any longer. As soon as I left your house after ringing in the New Year, I cursed myself to the deepest pits of hell and decided to come get you early the next morning. Then my aunt arrived, and her visit showed me that I had to get to you even earlier than I'd already planned to and resolve everything once and for all.

Bella grinned wryly, playing with Edward's hair. "I'm sure your Aunt Jane would just _love_ to know how simply invaluable she was in finally bringing us together, because you know how much she enjoys being of great service. So why did you come to Forks before New Year's then? Was it just to sit in my house and brood, or did you have another plan?"

Edward moved his mouth to Bella's neck, kissing along her collarbone and enjoying the way her skin prickled and her breath hitched.

"My real purpose all along was to see you and find out if I could ever hope to get you to love me even a fraction of the amount that I loved you. But what I told myself was that I was also there to help Jasper along, in case he needed help clearing things up with your sister, in which case, I would've confessed my entire part in keeping them apart and let her hate me instead of him."

"Thank God that wasn't necessary," Bella gasped unsteadily, her eyes heavy-lidded from the sensations Edward's mouth was producing all along her neck, behind her ear, across her cleavage…

"But back to your Aunt Jane-"

At this, Edward stopped his ministrations and looked up at her.

"Really? You want to keep talking about my Aunt now? _Now_?"

Bella kissed him softly, holding his gaze. "I've just got one more thing to ask you, and if I don't ask it now, I know I'll be way too tired and dazed afterwards to ask."

This answer appeased Edward. He raised a brow and waited.

"Did you invite your Aunt to the wedding?"

"After the way she spoke to you that night? No."

Bella nodded. "You think you'll ever have the nerve to tell her that we're getting married?"

"It's more a lack of care than a lack of nerve that's stopped me, but yes, I suppose I should at least let her know." He sighed and suddenly lifted himself off of Bella, bringing her up with him and settling her soundly yet gently next to him. "Give me a minute." He reached for his cell phone, which lay on Bella's nightstand, scrolling through his contacts until he reached his aunt, and then opened up a text message.

Just then, Bella's own phone vibrated, indicating that she had a text message. She reached for it.

"I'd love to sit here and look over your shoulder at what will probably be an epic text exchange, and offer you my services at typing for you lest you get tired, as another young lady once did, but Emmett just texted me," she grinned, holding up her phone, "and seeing as you'll most likely be quite occupied yourself for the next few minutes, I'll leave you to it."

**Hey, Little Cuz, how's it going? Edward still there?**

**Hey, Em. Yes, he's still here. He'll be leaving in a couple of hours.**

**Oh, alright. Just wanted to make sure that we were still hanging tomorrow night. I texted him, but he didn't respond.**

**We've been busy.**

**TMI, Little Cuz. I don't need to know the particulars. **

**Oh My God, Emmett! I didn't give u any particulars! Mind outta guttah plz! **

**LOL! The smile on that guy's face every time he comes back from Seattle is particulars enough. He's a great guy. I'm glad u guys are so happy together.**

**And I'm glad u and he have such a lovely bromance going on, LOL. Seriously, Em, I'll never be able to thank u enough for taking me up to Ithaca last winter, and I promise that u can come swim in our in-ground pool whenever you want, stay as long as u want, and treat my future home like your own because Edward and I both care about u so very much! **

**:)**

**One smiley face won't do, Em. I'm the happiest woman in the world! I'm sure other women have thought so in the past, but no one has ever meant it as much as I do. I'm even happier than Alice. She giggles; I laugh out loud. **

**ROTFL **

Just then, Bella felt a smattering of soft, wet kisses against the nape of her neck. She arched her back while Edward's arms snaked around her waist, pulling her down over him.

"I'm done with my texts, Bella," he whispered in her ear. "Now do you want to remind me where we were?"

Bella closed her eyes, her heart-rate accelerating, and breathed out heavily through narrowed lips. She held the phone high above her head.

"Let me just say bye to Emmett."

Edward chuckled. "Tell him I said hi."

**Edward says hi, but yeah, I'll give u TMI now and tell you that "hi" is about all he's got time to say to you right now. ;) TTYL! **

And with that, Bella flung her phone aside, vaguely hearing it land over the rug with a thud, and turning around over a thrilled Edward, straddled his hips.

"Let me show you _exactly_ where we were."

And other than low moans and groans, those were the last sounds uttered in that small apartment for a long while.

OOOOOOOOOO

One hundred and forty miles away, at that same moment, Charles Swan was writing his own text message to Jacob Black:

**Jake, don't know if you've heard yet, but Bella and Edward are tying the knot in June. Give the Senator my condolences, but if I were you, I'd start kissing Edward's ass over your Senator's. From what I hear in the news, she better not hold her breath for a re-election. Take care, Kid. Charlie.**

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Like I said, one more chapter and an epilogue…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	36. A&A CH 36 (P&P Ch 60)

**Here we go guys! This will be the final regular chapter. The epilogue is next. **

*****I've started posting over on 'Fiction Pad' as well, for those of you who are interested. Fanfiction will still be my main posting site, but there's a lot of cray cray going on here lately, and I just want to make sure you guys have somewhere to read my stories should anything ever happen to them here on fanfiction. I've got the same pen name over there, 'pattyrose,' so it should be easy to follow me, or you can go to my facebook page for the link to my fiction pad profile.*****

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen.**

**A&A Chapter 36 (P&P Ch. 60)**

* * *

On the day of Bella's college graduation, all the players from the previous year were once again gathered in the small town of Forks, Washington – though in very different clusters than the previous year. As a matter of fact, they were all gathered in the Swans' back yard for Bella's party. It was a small affair. Edward had wanted to rent Bella the finest hall in all of Forks, but their wedding was only a couple of weeks away, and Bella simply wanted to get through the next two weeks as quickly as possible.

It would be the first time since before Christmas that Tanya and Bella would see each other, though an unfortunate side effect of Edward's friendship with Jasper was that he had seen Tanya on a few occasions. Upon learning of his engagement, Tanya's congratulations on the event had been all that was thrilling and gracious - and thoroughly insincere.

Now, standing in the Swans' back yard, Tanya tried to school her features carefully into those of a happy friend instead of those of a bitterly envious harpy, who still couldn't fathom how such a trashy nobody had managed to steal such a prize from right under her nose!

"Congratulations, Bella!" she exclaimed joyously, when Bella made her way to greet her - with her misguided yet heartbreakingly beautiful fiancée at her side.

Bella wasn't deceived by Tanya's false gaiety for one second, but she went along with it, as _she_ had no reason to be bitter.

"Thanks so much, Tanya."

"Now, what does one do with a degree in Education from a…not-so-well-known university? I mean, I suppose you can always look into turning your uncle's McDonald's franchise into a family business and open up a McDonald's of your own! You can train your new recruits!"

"My future wife will be attending Columbia University full-time in the fall, studying for a Master's Degree in Child Psychology. Tell me, Tanya, what exactly have you done with the degree you…_earned_ a few years ago? Maybe you can give Bella some pointers?"

"I…I…I mean, I've been exploring my options…"

Bella smiled, giving Edward's hand a playful squeeze.

"It's always good to see you, Tanya."

"Likewise, Bella," Tanya sneered, and stormed off towards the open bar.

Edward scowled at her retreating form, but Bella merely chuckled.

"I suppose I can't really blame her. You _are_ one mighty fine catch, and I should thank my lucky stars that I was the one who caught you - at least, that's what my mother reminded me of just a few minutes ago."

Edward rolled his eyes and pulled Bella close to him, kissing her tenderly. "I'm the lucky one."

"How about we agree that we both need to thank those lucky stars?" Bella grinned impishly, to which Edward nodded, mouth still on hers.

"Hey, hey, you two! This here is a graduation party, not a bachelor party! _That one_ is coming up in a couple of weeks, and wait 'til you see what Jasper and I've got planned for you, Edward!" Emmett said, coming across the couple. Jasper, Alice and Rosalie accompanied him.

Edward smirked.

"Will it be really wild?" Bella questioned, grinning wickedly. "I mean like, will he have a horrible hangover and possible memory loss the next day?"

"Exactly!" Emmett confirmed.

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed, pumping a fist high in the air.

Edward turned back to his fiancée, frowning in bewilderment. "You're okay with all of that?"

Bella reached up and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. "Hey, as long as there are no hookers, hook-ups or lap dances, I'm just fine with it. Go have fun. Just make sure you shake it all off in time to make it to the altar or I WILL come looking for you."

Edward shook his head; a bemused smile crossed his handsome face. All these months later, Bella still kept him on his toes. He was sure that would be the case for the rest of his life, and he couldn't wait to get on with it.

"Don't worry, Edward," Alice volunteered. "Bella will have to shake off her own hangovers and memory loss after _her_ bachelorette party," she quipped. "Rosalie, Honey, I'm so glad you're over-age or we may have had to exclude you from some of the activities! As it is, we may have to have you sign a waiver!"

Rosalie blushed, but she'd grown very close to the Swan sisters in the past few months, especially to her future sister-in-law, and just as her brother, she was learning what it meant to be teased – as well as how to tease right back.

Mimicking her future sister-in-law's action, she threw a fist in the air and yelled, "Bring it on! Woo-hoo!"

Everyone, including her brother, laughed loudly. Edward was beyond thrilled with how Rosalie's friendship with his fiancée had finally dispelled the lingering air of melancholy that had hung around his sister since the Mike issue.

Edward held Bella tightly to him once more, whispering lowly in her ear,

"I hope you know that the no hookers, hook-ups or lap dances rule goes both ways – unless, you know, you want to sneak over to my Bachelor Party and give me a…private dance, in which case we'd both be breaking the rules." He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, giving her goose bumps all over.

Bella chuckled quietly, pulling away enough to hold his gaze. "Mmm, sounds very tempting, but just out of curiosity, were exactly is the proud, reserved, brooding introvert I met a year ago? Whatever happened to him?"

"_You_ happened to him," Edward responded intently. "You're the best thing that ever happened to him."

They held each other's gazes silently, communicating so much without words.

Until a loud, annoying voice interrupted their private moment.

"Bella, Edward, on behalf of my fiancée Leah and myself, I'd like to offer you both congratulations on the upcoming nuptials!"

Bella and Edward both blinked, having been brought back to the present by none other than Jake himself. Leah stood next to him, appearing slightly embarrassed - and more than a little ashamed.

Jake rushed them both, ignoring the fact that Edward and Bella were obviously having a moment and he was invading their personal space. He proceeded to give Bella a hug that caught her by surprise, and gave Edward an over-exuberant handshake that was extremely unwarranted. Leah offered them both her quiet apologies as she greeted them with a more subdued hug.

"I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised when your father was kind enough to text me to inform me of the happy news. And how quickly you two are tying the knot! Leah and I haven't even set a date yet!" he chuckled, before adding a bit peevishly and under his breath, "Because, you know, Leah's just too busy to come up with one."

Leah simply rolled her eyes.

"Then I thought that maybe there was a reason the vows had to be said so soon." He patted his stomach and raised a brow meaningfully. "I mean, these things do tend to run in the family. But look at you," he grinned widely at Bella. "You're obviously nowhere near knocked up."

"Jake!" Leah hissed.

If Jake hadn't been such an idiot, he may have noticed how Edward's hands fisted at his sides, and how his nostrils flared wildly. At first, Edward wasn't sure if this was some sort of joke?

"Are these words actually coming out of your mouth?"

Jake laughed out loud, clapping Edward's shoulder. "Seriously though, I wish you both the best, and I hope there are no hard feelings over the fact that, you know, Bella was mine first."

"Jake!" Leah growled through clenched teeth.

"Come again?" Edward asked through an almost locked jaw.

"Because I asked her out first. Obviously, the timing was wrong. I mean, it couldn't have been anything other than _that_ that caused her to turn me down. Otherwise, you never know, things may have ended differently, and I might be standing where you are right now," Jake chuckled, bouncing on his heels.

Leah dropped her head in defeat, internally determining that no, the house in Madrona and Jake's overly-muscular body were _so_ not worth this, and that she'd _never_ find time to set a date for her marriage to him.

Edward looked at Bella, but she had no words to explain the marvel that was Jacob. So she simply shrugged and shook her head.

Edward sighed and returned the clap on Jake's shoulder – _hard_, knocking Jake off balance.

"Ow," Jake muttered quietly.

"Jake," Edward grinned, "it's always interesting to see you. Enjoy the rest of the party."

Bella hugged Leah and whispered quietly, "Leah, you know you're welcome at our wedding, but as for the Senator and Jake,-"

Leah offered her a faint smile. "I understand completely, Bella."

And wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulder, Edward led her away.

"So you were just turning guys down left and right last year, weren't you?" Edward teased.

"You know me," Bella grinned impishly. "I don't settle for simply anyone."

Edward chuckled and kissed her neck, and both completely ignored Jake's next outburst.

"It was great to see you guys! And don't worry; I'm sure my wedding invitation must've just gotten lost in the mail! But if you guys send me another one, I may be able to juggle-"

Edward and Bella were able to control their fits of laughter until they were far away from Jake.

OOOOOOOOOO

Sue Clearwater's vulgarity was possibly even worse than Jake's, but Edward bore it all like a perfect gentleman, and Bella loved him all the more for it. At least, Sue, like Renee, was too awed by Edward to actually say much directly _to_ him. Yet whenever they heard her voice from across the yard, she was being loud and obnoxious. Throughout the party, Bella did her best to keep Edward to herself or to those of her friends and family who wouldn't cause her embarrassment. And though the work this entailed took a lot of the pleasure out of the party itself, it was why Bella had wanted to keep the party small, and why she looked forward to her wedding in Pemberley in a couple of weeks, where half of these people that she wouldn't see again would not be present, and those that she loved the most would be.

She looked up at Edward, who was once again next to her, studying his perfect profile. She remembered a time when she swore that he was the last man in the world she would ever consider marrying.

Edward looked down at her and grinned. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of how you made me eat my words, and how much I love you for it, and how right now, this minute, this second, I want nothing more than to be your wife."

Half of his mouth turned up in that cocky semi-smirk of his. "You just have to hold on to that thought for a couple more weeks."

Bella shook her head. "I'll hold that thought forever."

* * *

**A/N: Your thoughts?**

**Epilogue coming next…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**Don't forge to follow me on fiction pad! ("pattyrose")**


	37. A&A Epilogue (P&P Ch 61)

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen. The rest is all me. :)**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**A&A Epilogue (P&P Ch. 61)**

* * *

Happy and sunny was the day when Pemberley was transformed from a Vineyard into its owner's wedding venue, with white tents and tulle, tulips and white roses, and a white arbor with vines of rich grapes weaved all throughout. A beautiful, young lady walked down the grassy aisle to the handsome gentleman that eagerly awaited her under the arbor. Her father walked with her, tears stinging his eyes despite his enormous pride and joy. Her sister, as well as the gentleman's sister, stood at her side. As for the gentleman, he had his best friend, as well as his future cousin-in-law next to him.

The bride's mother cried copious happy tears, making sure that everyone within hearing and visual range could observe the joy with which she handed over her favorite daughter to such a deserving - and rich - young man.

It would be wonderful to say that the marriage of one daughter to such a great man and the engagement of the other daughter to another wonderful man had been enough to transform Renee Swan into a more rational, sensible person. Alas, in front of her son-in-law, Edward, she did attempt to censor herself, knowing full well that Edward would not stand for gossip or inane silliness.

Yet when left to her own devices, Renee was still known to brag about her son-in-law's wealth, his connections, and to shove her daughters' successes into her good friend Sue's envious face.

Charlie attempted to get away from this behavior as much as possible. And now that he had two daughters living at the opposite end of the country, he took full advantage of the distance and visited as often as possible – usually without prior warning.

As for Jessica, much like Renee, the birth of her son, James, didn't magically transform her into an intelligent, responsible young woman. But her son was the love of her life, and so she made somewhat of an effort to better herself for his sake, if not for her own, and fulfilled all the minimum requirements mandated of her to receive the benefits of the Rose Foundation for Exploited Young Women. If she used some of the money to buy herself a kick-ass pair of heels now and then, she couldn't very well be faulted for that, could she? Mama needed a new pair of shoes!

As fate would have it though, while in community college she met a young man named Ben Cheney, the total opposite of her in every way, and as he was unworldly, quiet and meek and completely unaware of the various arts and allurements a young lady will employ when intending to snag herself a certain man, he soon found himself the instant family he hadn't even known he was looking for.

Lauren, having seen the dangers loose morals could engender, decided not to follow in her sister's footsteps. Her older cousins invited her to New York one summer, so she could start checking out colleges over there. She fell in love with the City, went back to Forks, studied her ass off, and the following year was accepted into New York University on a full scholarship – much to Charlie's delight.

Alice and Jasper got married the year after Edward and Bella, and soon sold Netherfield Estate, finding that it was much too close to…uhm…certain unwanted visitors. They settled on a beautifully restored brownstone in Brooklyn, New York; just a short ride to Edward and Bella's homes in New York City and Pemberley.

Mike spent the next ten years in jail – and as child predators are as hated in prison as they are out in the real world, rumors said that Mike got a taste of his own medicine while in the slammer, and never walked with quite the same swagger again.

Tanya never fully got over Edward's marriage to Bella, but as her cousin Jasper was a frequent visitor to Pemberley and she desperately wanted to be invited as well, she tried her best to hide her resentment, was sweet and kind to Rosalie, tried not to be _too_ sweet and kind to Edward, and was as courteous and polite to Bella as she could possibly muster.

She still never received another invite.

As for Rosalie…

She lived with her brother and his wife for a few years, while attending Julliard. The relationship she had with Bella was as close as two sisters could get. And though at first Rosalie was a bit shocked by how much Bella teased Edward – as she'd never seen anyone tease her brother so much and get away with it – she came to realize that wives teased their husbands in a much different manner, and that all that teasing was a sort of…game between her older brother and his wife that would lead to other sorts of…ahem, games. Once she realized this, she would smile and quietly leave the room whenever these games began – which was pretty often.

Rosalie graduated Juilliard at the top of her class, which made her brother and sister-in-law extremely proud. They threw her a grand party at Pemberley, where one of the guests was a young doctor named Emmett, her sister-in-law's cousin. They'd become pretty good friends over the years; she'd even once told him about Mike, and he'd listened and assuaged her fear that what Mike had forced her to do would somehow lead to her never being able to have children.

On Rosalie's first day as an Artistic Director at MoMA, Emmett surprised her afterwards outside and invited her to a celebratory dinner, where he confessed he was in love with her. She in turn confessed that she'd been in love with him since the first time she met him at Pemberley, but had thought he'd consider her too young for him. He admitted that at the time, he had. They were married a year later, to the great joy of both her brother and his wife, and Rosalie went on to employ all the methods of…teasing her new husband that she'd surreptitiously learned from Bella.

Finally, Senator Jane De Volturi was highly infuriated by the marriage of her nephew to such trash as Isabella Swan, and as she clearly told Edward in that epic text exchange they'd had a few months before he got married, she wouldn't have gone to the wedding even if she _had_ been invited!

Speaking of the text exchange, it will not be shared in this story because the language used by the Senator was so vulgar that it would be an embarrassment to the country to repeat such filth from a civil servant. Of course, all relations between Edward and his aunt came to an end after that exchange, but after a few years, and on his wife's gentle urging, Edward was persuaded to contact his aunt and let bygones be bygones, especially as his aunt had fallen on such hard and melancholy times after losing her Senate seat by such a wide margin a couple of years back.

Edward went so far as to agree to have her over to dinner at Pemberley, and allowed her to bring her boyfriend as well, a Mr. Jacob Black. Afterwards, as they lay in bed together that evening, talking and kissing late into the night, Edward and Bella were grateful to the former Senator and her continued assistant for their unintentional comic relief. And as Bella recounted a particularly favorite moment of hers, Edward happily listened, rubbing his wife's quite protruding belly round and round.

As if on cue, the tiny being inside kicked when its mother got to the punch line.

Edward chuckled. "She's got your sense of humor."

"_He's _got your know-it-all attitude. How does he even know I'm done?"

Edward grinned indulgently and kissed his wife's sweet lips. "Probably because she _is_ a know-it-all, just like you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Don't call me Mrs. Cullen when you're being cheeky," Bella pouted. "You may only call me Mrs. Cullen when you are utterly, completely and unimaginably happy."

Edward smiled, and drawing in a few uneven breaths, he hovered over his wife, being careful to keep his weight off of her beautiful belly.

"In that case," he murmured tenderly, "it's time for you to get some rest now, _Mrs. Cullen_."

He placed a soft, gentle kiss on her forehead.

"_Mrs. Cullen."_

He trailed his mouth along the side of her face, ghosting his lips over her cheek.

"_Mrs. Cullen."_

His mouth slid to the edge of her lips, making her gasp quietly.

And then, pulling away just enough to meet her big brown eyes, he breathed, _"Mrs. Cullen,"_

…and eased his mouth over hers…

THE END.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Seriously, I want to thank all of you guys, especially those of you who've been with this story since it first started posting OVER 3 YEARS AGO!**

**This was my second fanfic story, and somewhere along the way it got sidelined a bit here and there, but I promised I wouldn't abandon it, because all my stories are my babies, and I would NEVER abandon one.**

**Reading back through the first chapters, the Patty that I am now would've probably written those chappies a bit differently, and had I started this story a few months ago rather than a few years ago, it probably would've been rated "M", LOL. But I hope you guys enjoyed it for what it was: me telling someone else's story in my words. Jane Austen kept it "T", and so I did too. :)**

**For those of you who've read "THE CULLEN LEGACY," I'll have the last outtake to that to you guys in a couple of weeks, and then probably sometime in November, we'll have a completely new story to tell! So put me on Author/Story Alert if you're interested in any of that.**

**As always, love you all!**


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